Next visit to Avalon
by Sophie Hillson
Summary: Brooklyn is lonely. Desperation drives him to seek the aid of Demona, who journies with him to Avalon and leads them to the discovery of new clan members and revelations about themselves and life in general.
1. Chapter 1

Brooklyn sighed as he watched Goliath with Elisa down below him, in a lower tier of the castle ramparts. He had watched since she'd first appeared-her brisk, perky stride both determined and purposful-always taking her somewhere important, somewhere worthwhile. Tonight it had taken her right up to the leader of the gargoyle clan-the massive, incurruptably pure Goliath-and it was not long before sheepish looks about them lead to their kissing and their laughing as if they had not a care in the world. Brookyln tried not to be envious of them. He knew Goliath needed her-but what about him? He needed someone too, they all did. He thought bitterly about Angela and Maggie-how they had rejected him. Maggie had outright spurned him-and that had hurt the worst, because he had truly felt that they where made for each other-both desperate and alone, needing someone to be strong for them in the ways that they each where weak. Angela had never even seen him for who he was, and he still felt that she had never even tried. She'd looked right through him as though by looks alone he been rejected from her consideration. He somewhat disliked her for this and he was often angered by just stupid things she did. He called her airhead in his mind and didnt respect her in the least internally. Broadway, her chosen mate, had used to be his best friend, but now he was more distant from the red gargoyle, and it was almost as though an akwardness had formed not only between him and Brooklyn, but between them and Lexington as well. Day by day saw Lexington fading more and more into the world of technology and computers, and Brooklyn suspected the day was soon to come when he wouldnt even be able to hold a conversation with him anymore, because Lex would be completely consumed by his studies, studies Brooklyn did not care to learn himself.

Brooklyn had been consumed by desperation for quite awhile now. Depression had eaten away at his exteriour to the point where it was only a matter of the right force and his whole shell would crack and crumble, leaving nothing but a limp, shapeless blob devoid of lust or aim. He had considered all his options to escape his otherwise inevitable sinking-and they where few. The one he had selected first to try was the one that left the most bitter taste in his mouth, but it was the most convenient. He had decided to try and convince his most hated enemy to help him get to Avalon.

Avalon. He had dreamed about going there ever since Goliath had come back with the story of a whole clan of scottish gargoyles there-and of their own blood, no less. It stuck with him and consumed him night and day and he knew hed never be satisfied until he went there himself. In his minds eye he saw it as the home he had known 1000 years ago-a home the harsh, dispicable times of the day had resculpted into a utopia that he longed to revive and relive.

Demona was the only one he knew besides Goliath and Elisa who might know how to get to Avalon. He could never ask the latter two he knew. If he went, it would have to be in secret. For some reason, he was pretty sure Demona would help him. He first approached her with a letter-written and sent to Miss Dominique Destine. The letter read as follows:

To Miss Destine-

Or should I say "Demona". Im going to be right to the point here-no point in my playing guessing games as to my identity. Its Brooklyn. I want to meet with you tomorrow night. Twelve o clock-at the Flatiron building. I want to ask your help.

Brooklyn was first to arrive. The demon came about five minuites later, materializing silently from the clear night sky, landing with the grace of her 1000 years and the erect, defensive poise brought about by her heavily fortified sense of steadfast right.

"Well Brooklyn, this was certainly not expected."

She approached him slowly, featureless. He felt her try to read him, try to garner up a story behind a story. There was none though-he had nothing to hide, and he met her eyes with a gaze cool enough to frost a glass, and she stopped six feet before him.

"You know how I feel about you Demona." Brooklyn began.

"That hasnt changed. Im not here to join you in wiping out humanity. I am tired, though." He tried to uphold his tough, frank, unwavering deminour-with about 90 success. "I cant live like the clan lives anymore. Alone. Just the six of us. I need to know if there are other gargoyles. Clans worth fighting this fight for. A hope, you might say. I once heard that you knew of all the remaining clans. Is that true? How many are there?"

Demona pursed her lips. "Brooklyn, I know exactly how you feel. There arnt many clans around at all, believe me. As far as I know, besides the clones we are the only gargoyles on this continent. You know there are a few clans in Britain, Japan, South America. A few more besides that. Do you think that youll find solice with one of them? What makes you think that their lives are any better than yours here?

no, if you ask me their lives are worse. They dont have men like Xanatos with such strong motives to help keep them alive. I would show them to you, Brookly, but I doubt it would do you any good. To be frank, I dont even care to waste my time."

"There is one other clan Demona. Or have you forgotten? The clan Angela came from, the clan on Avalon."

Demona smirked. "also "protected" by humans. AND the same humans who mocked us so many years ago, no less. Although, I must say it might be your best selection if you insist on _co-existing_. At least there are only a few of them there, as opposed to countless millions"

Brooklyn gritted his teeth. _Just get the meeting over with. _"Thats why I wrote to you. I need your help getting there."


	2. Chapter 2

"You want to go to Avalon?" Demonas smirk was a full-fledged grin now. "Hmm...this could be interesting. I do know the spell, since I copied the Grimorum. Tell me Brooklyn, do you plan to stay? Could you stand the thought of one day coming back to the world you left and finding it ravaged by the merciless passing of hundreds of years? Could you stand being there just a month say, and coming back to find Goliath and the others old and decrepit, perhaps even dead?"

"For now, I just want to go there. I have to see what its like. No promises about what I'm going to do. You either help me or not."

Demona thought just a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I'll take you there. When do you want to go?"

"Now, if possible."

Demona was surprised by Brooklyns enthusiasm. She could almost detect a wave of elation peeking up from within and escaping through his face. She hadn't seen the red gargoyle happy since he'd been reawakened, although her presence could certainly have had a biased effect on his particular mood.

"Ok, to my manor then." She took off into the air, and Brooklyn followed her. Pangs of disbelief struck him throughout the entire journey, along with pangs of elation. Here he was, following the enemy of his clan, a betrayer-solicitating her aide in an underhanded mission. He felt no guilt, though. He would accept any repercussions from his actions without surprise or complaint. It was something he had to do for his own survival. He had been living for the clan for so long. It was time to live for himself, even if he stayed on Avalon itself for only a day.

Demona was quick about her manor, gathering up the information and making a few arrangements for Nightstones maintence while she was gone. Brooklyn had initially been annoyed when he realized that she intended to come along, but she told him she would only be staying for a day and it wasn't like he had much ground to object. She could have went there alone at any time after all. If she caused trouble, it would just have to be his responsibility to stop her.

Demona and Brooklyn went out to her massive garage and silently hitched a small boat to the back of her H1. The two climbed in and drove to the most secluded body of water within reasonable driving distance. Brooklyn felt very strange indeed driving in a car. He observed with a sense of irony the ease with which Demona undertook human behaviour-driving their cars and adhering to the rules of the road. He remembered with bitterness his own ill fated attempted at driving. He attempted to squash the suffocating feeling of failure that seemed to be seeping from every crevice of his recent life with the joy and many prospects of his dream finally coming true. It was actually happening-here and now, no more waiting, fearing, no more dreaming. In only a thousand years, they where there and unloading the boat unto the water.

The gentle waves tried to push them back at first, weakly frothing in gentle coils about their ankles with just sensible tugs back to the shore. He looked at Demona, trying to see if she seemed to notice the waves, but if she did she did not show it and hopped right into the boat, pausing just long enough for Brooklyn to hop in to join her before revving up the small crafts motor and sending them out, far enough away from shore to be influenced by the changes of wind, and free from the ever consistent pulling of the waves.

"Forcati ventae fortunatae ex rikei Oberonus. Et hic nobis frugum regatae et ordae Avalones!"

Demonas strong voice carried the Latin spell far throughout the clear blue night, and soon it seemed the very earth beneath them had begun to tremble, sending spikes of water up about them in jagged, upright splashes that hit back down in flat and sickly splats. A portal opened in front of them, seemingly right out of the very molding of the colors of the sky, with clouds and glistening starlight fortifying the edges around it. The motorboat carried them through, and it wasn't long after that the island emerged erect from the flat line of the sea. Brooklyn's breath caught wet in his dry throat as he took in the majesty and beauty of its quiet and serenity. Here it was-his living dream, in all its promised glory. Just this island, protected by magic, and a whole clan of gargoyles for him to befriend.

They reached the shore. Brooklyn masked a tremble as his foot touched the soft sand for the very first time. It sifted pleasant through his taloned toes. The castle stood just a few hundred feet away, just as lit up and magnificent as his home of a thousand years ago.

Demona did not remember that she had ever been to Avalon. She only knew about it from her own studies, and from what Angela had told her about her origins. She had been very curious to see the clan there for herself, but hadn't gone before because it was known to be inhabited by the fey folk, and they where not beings she cared to mess with. She looked about her like a tiger scanning for prey-her head as still as possible, tilting only mildly, searching with her eyes. They headed towards the castle and where soon met by a green male gargoyle with blonde hair-Gabriele- and a female of an almost identical shade, only with chestnut brown hair and a crest like a triceratops-Ophelia. The twos eyes glowed red at the site of the newcomers. "What are you doing here?" Gabriele snarled, glaring hard at Demona. "Are you two alone?"

Demona was certainly surprised at being recognized, although she was so conditioned to that sort of greeting it hardly fazed her. "You seem to know me-I don't know how, though? Perhaps you would care to explain."

Brooklyn took the iniative. "You don't remember being here Demona? Goliath told me what happened here. The weird sisters had you and Macbeth fight for them against the clan here while under a spell. I thought you might have known regardless-guess not."

Demona snarled. "Well then. I certainly apologize. I am their toy, it seems. Nevertheless, I am only here for the day. Duty beckons back home." She couldn't help but glance over at Brooklyn with a bit of menace spiked into a wide-mouthed grin. She liked the idea of taunting him for his weakness, fleeing here to Avalon. What a waste of him, she thought. She would be glad to have him out of her hair though, in the end-so she would leave it with just the grin. Any more might make him change his mind too soon.

Brooklyn saw the look and certainly felt the pang of guilt that she intended to inflict upon him with it. He knew she would still be trying to wipe out humanity, and would now have one less soldier in the way. He was deserting.

_Maybe not forever._ Brooklyn thought. _Just let me have this as a vacation, if nothing more. Give me something more to dream._

Demona continued as Brooklyn tousled his thoughts around. "This is Brooklyn, from Goliaths clan. I take it you know Goliath."

Gabriele and Ophelia looked at each other, not knowing what to think of their strange and perhaps unwelcome visitors.

"Yes, we know Goliath. He's a great friend of ours." Ophelia responded. "I'm Ophelia, and this is Gabriele." The green male dipped his head slightly.

"Well, why are ye two here then? What do ye want with us?"

Brooklyn responded with a dry chuckle. "Lets just say I needed a vacation from my life in Manhattan. Ever since Goliath and the others told me about this place I've been dying to see it for myself. I would have RSVPed, but ha, don't think you can RSVP a trip to Avalon."

Gabriel hinted a smile. He liked Brooklyn well enough already-but he was still a bit on edge about Demona. "Why are you here then, Demona?" He asked, wary of the answer.

"I'm merely Brooklyn's escort here, since I knew the way. Like I said before I only plan to stay until tomorrow night. Just long enough to see the sites, you might say. I have no wish to stay with you and your humans in the castle. I'm more interested in the island."

Gabriele nodded. "Very well then. I won't invite you in. Stay out here and do as you like, I'll trust enough that you'll leave without causing us trouble this time."

"Gabriel!" Ophelia snapped. "Demona was under a spell last time she was here. I hardly think it fair to treat her so rudely, considering."

Brooklyn was about to speak about it being perfectly fair to treat her like a hive of hornets but Demona saved him the trouble by waving her arm and dismissing her defense.

"It's quite alright Ophelia, but thank you." She peered deep into her eyes as she spoke to her. "I'll be fine alone out here." She stressed the alone.

"Ye wont be needing anything then?" Ophelia asked, ever the kind host. "Perhaps I could send someone out te give ye a tour."

"Hm, very well." Demona smiled. "I'll look out for them."

Brooklyn held his tongue for the moment, deciding to tell Ophelia why that might be a bad idea when Demona was out of earshot. They parted ways-the three of them heading off to the castle, leaving Demona behind.

"Guys, I know she's leaving and everything, but you can't trust Demona. She's out to kill all humans and she won't hesitate to kill gargoyles who protect them either. I'm sorry to have had to arrive here with her. Just watch it until she's gone, ok?"

"Oh dear." Ophelia responded, looking towards Gabriele to see his reaction.

"We aren't really defensive here on Avalon. Is she unarmed this time?"

"As far as I know, yes." Brooklyn replied.

"Well then," Gabriele chimed in, "I don't see a load of harm she could do to us, seeing how she's so outnumbered. Lets let her be tonight."

"Well I'll certainly be nervous while she's here. Not so much for us, but for Tom and Katherine."

"They'll be ok, Ophelia.

"Hey, I'm watching her" Brooklyn reassured them. "I know Demona, and if she has anything planned for here, it's probably to try and recruit some of you for her deranged "cause". So if just none of you talk to her, she'll probably leave alright."

He hoped his words proved true.

They where certainly accurate.

Demona wasted no time in heading off into the mystical woods of the island. She was curious to know if any magic artifacts existed there. She knew so little about the place. To her surprise, it was mostly deserted. Not even beasts scurried through the trees. She examined the soil, the plant life. All of it seemed painfully ordinary. She was just about to head back in the hopes of Ophelia sending her a mentally vulnerable escort when she heard someone moving amid the tree line bracing the shore. By this time, she was on the far side of the island, away from the castle.

She used her fine tuned skill to creep up and see who was there. The brush grew sparsely in the area the other was at, and Demona found a rock to duck behind that gave her a clear view. She gasped.

Back in Manhattan, a grand panic was sweeping Goliaths small clan. They had looked everywhere for Brooklyn, moving about in a desperate searching scurry until the rays of sunlight finally baked to stone their skin. Elisa, though weary to the bone, promised to continue the search by day. Night fell again and she'd unearthed nothing.

"We've still got many options to try." Goliath reassured, weight and concern wearing his voice into a compressed strain. "We'll investigate our major enemies first. The Quarrymen, The hunters, Demona to begin with. The ones of less danger, Sevarious, Xanatos next. We need to stay close together right now. Whoever it is may be trying to pick us off or lead us into a trap. Elisa, you look tired. Please, get some rest-its ok." He put his big hands on her shoulders. He thanked her with his eyes more sincerely than he ever could with words.

"Alright-just a few hours." She relented. "And only because I'd be no good to you like this anyway."

That night, the gargoyles spied out everyone they could. Nothing seemed amiss. They went back home even more dejected than ever.

"Maybe he just needed a break." Angela said to Broadway, placing her hand on his arm in reassurance. The big green gargoyle worried deeply for his friend. He wished he had spent more time with him lately. Regret was beginning to break the waterworks dam that the worry had cracked. He breathed deeply in an attempt to relieve the pressure that threatened to bust. "I sure hope so. Like when Goliath and Elisa went missing. How that ended up being a good thing."

"Ya." Angela smiled sadly. "A good thing."

Elisa uncovered their first clue the next day, even thought she may not have realized its significance. It seemed Dominique Destine had disappeared the same night as Brooklyn, leaving Nightstone so shortly noticed that it was in an upheaval big enough to make the news. Gossip flew rampant, and her stocks took a bit of a dive. Shareholders knew the secretive woman was prone to unexpected behavior, but never before had she left her company so ill prepared for her absence. The vice president had taken over the overseeing of her operations but she could provide nothing more than the notation that Miss Destine would be returning in about a month's time. Elisa was certainly intrigued.

Brooklyn forgot almost completely his apprehension from his decision to go to Avalon the moment he stepped into the castle. It was every bit a vision from his sweet dream-memory-a fire cracking, warm and vibrant, a spacious hall full of gargoyles in what seemed to be a mix of every shade and color he once knew as family. He saw Katherine and Tom, sitting together at a table, enjoying drinks and the escapades of their busy children and those of a green Gar-dog chasing smells along the floor. The gar-dog lifted its head and barked heartily at his approach.

Tom stood quickly. "A visitor! Can't say that this was expected. Who might you be?"

"I'm Brooklyn." He pointed a thumb at his chest with youthful, masculine zeal. "I'm from Goliaths clan. I'm uh...here for a visit."

"A visit? Are things going well over in Manhattan? Goliath and the others are all well, I hope? And Angela?"

"All well." Brooklyn assured, smiling and hoping they would not ask why none of them where with him. "We'll but busy. Things are tough back there. Angela sends her love." He fibbed.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." Katherine spoke. The days without Mangus had aged her. She was tired these days. So very, very tired. "I do miss Angela. So sweet and helpful always. As long as I know she's happy."

The other gargoyles, previously engaged in such hurried pursuits now gathered around him with untimed interest. A squat green male with white hair, horns and a beak like his, a dusty beige male with red brown hair, red undertoned wings, a pyramid spiked forehead and four spikes on his chin, a chunky orange female with equally orange hair and a face reminiscent or Broadway minus the dragon ears, and a tall, lanky yellow brown male with tan wings and dusty blonde hair and a clean, circular face that trailed upwards into a single spiraled spike. They spoke to him their names in order of their appearance: Alonso, Aaron, Diana, and Lear. More poured in the room upon hearing the commotion, and it wasn't long before he was the center of all their attention, brightening their drab and peaceful lives with the tales of his own colorful adventures.

Demona had just seen the most surprising thing since her discovery of Angela that night in Paris. Before her, tramping angrily through the brush, was a slightly off red female gargoyle with hair nearly identical to her own. She head hers tied back into a single ring instead of free, but that was where the difference ended. Her eyes where the same shade of emerald green and her features where very similar to Demona, except for the ridges of her brow which where not as big but one more frequent on each side. Even the undertones of her wings where the same lavender of Demonas, and the tops where a bit more crimson than her body. She was less mature looking than Demona, and was not quite as muscular. She appeared frustrated to the point of collapsing onto the ground and not getting up again for a long, long time.

"Helloo." Demona revealed herself, startling the other. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Demona." She extended a hand.

"Demona?" The red garg narrowed her eyes and half-scowled. She scanned Demona up in down critically. "You where here before, weren't you? You came with the attackers here. The wizard and the old king. What's going on?"

"Yes I was here before, but I was under a spell. I don't remember being here. For now, I'm only back for a short visit. I was requested by an...ahem..aquantence to bring him here. I figured I might as well see the sites"

The female laughed cynically. "Well, eat them up. This place is just _fascinating_." Her voice dripped sarcasm. "I hope you know that you might never be able to leave now. I don't know how you got off before, but the place is cursed. Cursed and boring. I could honestly wish to die over stay here much longer."

"Can't leave?" _Shit_. Demona thought. _I had researched leaving, but there was no spell. It said...Avalon will take you where you need to go...need to go...oh, this could be bad..._

"I've been trying to leave for years. I even built a boat, but I always end up floating right back here. I don't belong here, really. I don't get along with anyone in the clan. I can't live like they do." She smiled now at Demona, sadly. "I need more. I'm dying here."

Demonas concern over being able to get back as expected was pushed aside momentarily as she praised the fates for finding this gargoyle for her. Perhaps she would lead another clan yet. "You haven't yet told me your name."

"Oh, forgive me." she said, half jokingly. "Its Regan."

"Perhaps I can help you leave Regan. Would you want to come with me? I'm going to Manhattan-a city much different than what you know here. Its dangerous though-you would have to promise to listen to me. There are others who would tell you things, things that would result in your premature death."

"Listen to you? I listen to no one, unless I want to. You get me off this island though, and I might be agreeable to a period of service in return. What do you have in mind?"

"I don't want a slave." Demona tried to smile warmly. "I need you only to understand and accept the way things have to be. Do you know anything about Manhattan?"

"No, I don't."

"Forget anything you might think, then. Picture castles, ten times bigger than the one here-only filled with lights and humans. Thousands and thousands of humans-all heavily armed and out to kill you. I know the few humans here have treated you well-but you cannot trust the ones on this Manhattan. I am old-much older than I look. I have witnessed the carnage humans have brought upon our kind time and time again and I have vowed to dedicate my life to stopping it. My duty is to stop the humans from ever hurting another gargoyle-with any means necessary."

She emphasized "necessary" with a fist smacked to her palm. Regan's eyes narrowed and to Demonas surprise a grin spread across her face. Regan brought one of her hands to her chin, lowering her head slightly while still gaze locked with Demona, a perfect reflection of the first concoctions of potentially diabolical scheming. "Lets go try and see this Manhattan."

Demona was a bit wary at the prospect that this gargoyle too would eventually turn on her and side with Goliaths clan, but there would be no rewards for her without risks. She had come with the hopes of recruiting some allies, and this was about as close to success as she could have hoped to come. She began to wonder why this gargoyle looked so much like her. She had only given birth to one egg, so this couldn't possibly be her daughter. Perhaps she was her sister.

Gargoyles do not grow up agnolaging their parents, but they do guess and are most often right. Demona had been pretty sure that she'd picked her parents out. If she where right, she would have been their second child, and Regan would make their third and last together. There had been a male gargoyle the same shade of blue and with the same vibrant red hair as her own, mated to a red female the same shade as Regan. It all made perfect sense. On the way back, she shared this with her new potential comrade.

"What a story Demona! If only I could have such an exciting life-eh, aside from all the tragedy, of course." She tried to be sensitive, though it did not come to her naturally.

"Tragedy is what made me who I am. It's made me stronger, made me realize my role in life-no matter how unpopular it may seem now. Someone had to recognize how futile it is to try and make things work the way they are. Wait until you see Goliath. He too could live a 1000 years, and Ill bet it would take every single one of them for him to see-if he ever would. He is probably the most stubborn creature you will ever have the misfortune to meet. I will never understand how he can remain so blind to all but his one pathetic cause. Its positively infuriating!"

The two made it back to the boat. By the time they got there, the promised guide was waiting for them. Ophelia had sent Cordelia-a slight, small-statured female, not unlike Lexington, pinkish mauve with deep purple wings and wispy, strawberry blonde hair topped with a cross-shaped ridge much like that of Obsidiana of "The Green". Demona could have rubbed her claws together in impish delight at this additional pleasing development, but in actuality, did not.

"Hello." The mauve gargoyle seemed to be shy and spoke a bit quietly with a soft, sweet voice. "My name is Cordelia." She seemed quite surprised to see Regan. "Regan! I see you've met Demona already. You do know we've been worried about you-taking off on your own like you did. Have you decided not to leave us?"

Regan shook her head. "I'm leaving with Demona, as soon as possible. I'd be gone right now if the island didn't keep sending me back. No offence to you."

Regan had liked Cordelia well enough. She had always tried to be kind to her, despite her problems fitting in. She just lacked the sense of adventure Regan craved in what she would view as a true friend.

"It was nice of you to meet with me my young friend." Demona offered Cordelia her hand and they shook. "I've seen a bit of the island, but if there's anything of particular interest you'd like to show me, I would love to see it as well."

Regan snorted as if the idea of something interesting on the island where a joke. She didn't comment though, and Cordelia took it all in stride. "Oh, I could show you the temple of King Authur, where he slept until not too long ago. It's probably my favorite place. A bit secluded, but not too far. It's a great place to read and imagine things. Authur was a great king, I'd love to tell you about him."

Demona felt like puking upon hearing the praise of some human. Regan cast her a sideways glance and that half amused smile lingered on her face like she could start laughing. Demona momentarily felt annoyed at her young sibling for not being more serious, but there would be time later for that. She had had a sheltered life thus far.

"I can't say I'm a fan of King Aurther-sorry. Is that all that's here?"

"Pretty much. Not really much to see besides us. You sure you don't want to spend the night in the castle? It might be safest-you never know if Oberon might notice you as an outsider and become displeased." Her voice seemed to shake at the prospect.

"It's a chance I'll take, but thank you. We're leaving soon enough when night falls again. I'll be needed back home."

Cordelia looked almost hurtfully at Regan. "First Angela, now you are leaving us." She tried to look happy for her rookery sister. "I'm glad for you though, and I hope you make it out this time. I know you where never happy here, even when you where very young." She remembered the fiery youth, always trying to encourage some sort of excitement, mostly in the form of trouble. She had once taken Cordeilias sympathetic kindness and attempt at friendship as an opportunity to mold her into a sidekick in crime of sorts, but Cordelia had gone to her other friends for support and was guided away from her. Regan had grown angry at her brothers and sisters that had drawn Cordelia away, but the anger had seemed to die when they grew a bit older and the young male Aaron began to take interest in her. The two had become quiet inseparable for a few years and it almost seemed certain to the clan that they would become mates-but then Regan had left him cold and set off on her own without even an explanation. She had avoided him like plague since.

"Are you happy here Cordellia?"

Demona asked.

"Oh yes, absolutely!" Cordelia sighed. "I can't imagine being anywhere else. To be honest, I don't think I could handle it." She laughed, and though it was a natural laugh for her, it came out sounding high-strung and nervous. It was just her personality.

"Really, I don't know what you two are looking for. A good life, that's right here."

A good life, indeed-but little did Cordelia know, she should have never agreed to go as the escort-not that she could ever refuse a favor for a friend. While she was busy charming on about her love of Avalon, her love Lear was soaking in Broadways tales of adventure and science in Manhattan and watering a growing impulsive obsession to see that world for himself. Lear was an avid bookworm, reveling in adventure tales and admiring the heroic exploits of heroes. He never desired to accomplish such feats himself-but the prospect of being an actual witness to such feats and marvels was something he now knew he had to do. His life would just not be complete without.

Brooklyn had only informed Tom and Katherine about demonas presence and departure, so Lear did not know he had a potential trip out so soon. He approached Brooklyn later after some of the hubbub died down, and personally requested that if he should ever leave, he wanted to join him. Brooklyn was shocked that someone living such a charmed life would actually want to go back to that hell he called Manhattan.

"Believe me friend, its not someplace you want to go. I didn't come all this way because it was tons of fun."

"Perhaps it wasn't fun. It was a place for great things though-just think about all the good you've done. Here on Avalon, we're not doing a bit of good for anybody. We just live a charmed life. Not everybody is so lucky. Its not easy knowing that with every day, almost a month passes by in a place where others are suffering. I can't help but think: what if I where out there? Could I help? Am I needed? Really, what right do I have sitting here, doing nothing, while others are so much less fortunate and have been their whole lives. At this point, I'm kinda feeling like I owe it to my ancestors to at least give it a go in the real world out there. You know, do my part." He smiled earnestly, rekindling the burn of a lava flow of guilt through Brooklyn. The other male was smart. He reminded Brooklyn alot of Lexington, likening how he liked books with how Lex liked technology. Both where dedicated to their pursuits and worked hard to make them worthwhile. _Was that what he was missing? A hobby with a purpose? Thats just not me. I'm a doer, not a thinker. A doer._ What was he doing. Hiding away on Avalon like a fugitive from life, unable to handle the strain and trying to feel fine about casting his share of the load on the backs of his friends. What possible justification could he muster to ease this throbbing conscious? Nothing. He had to go back. He could not live with himself if he did not. A utopia is not a utopia if it is not complete.

By the end of the week back home in Manhattan, the clan and Elisa had utterly exhausted their search for Brooklyn. They still hadn't stopped looking, but it was no longer all that they did. The general unspoken agreement was that he would resurface when he was ready, and if he where dead or in grave danger something would have been leaked.

"Do you think Demona is involved?" Goliath asked Elisa one night, considering her likewise disappearance.

"To be honest-yes. Don't ask me what I think though. With Demona, you can never tell-alot of weird stuff goes on around her. She could have kidnapped him, put him under a spell-but it's certainly not like her to take her time with anything. As a detective I've taken my share of psychology courses and I feel like I've got her pinned down pretty well. If she had Brooklyn, she'd be waving it over our heads the night she got him."

Goliath sighed, hating to talk about his former love in such a way. As much as he was sure that Elisa was the one for him now, his heart still ached immensely with grief at the thought that he had not been able to save her. He considered it his greatest failure. As much as he hated to admit it, he still dreamed with the ache of desperate yearning for his Angel of the night to return, to say that she was sorry, and to once again hold him in her arms. To truly redeem her, he could die the next day happy.

Cordelia headed back up to the castle, a skip in her step. She had promised to bring Demona and Regan back some pastries freshly made by her and her friend Diana, who loved to cook together, as well as a pitcher of ale. She had felt so bad leaving them that she had insisted on getting them something. Regan had requested the ale to celebrate her departure and new friend and Demona had told Cordelia to bring out any who might want to come along with them. Cordelia couldn't imagine anyone wanting to leave Avalon but she'd agreed regardless. Whatever made her strange guests happy. She was also eager to tell Aaron that she'd seen Regan. He was always looking for her and had since her first departure to find her, even though she'd even been back to the castle once or twice, however briefly and sneakily. The general opinion for the last several months was that she had finally succeeded in leaving. Everyone had even pretty much stopped keeping an eye out for her. Little did she know what surprise was in store, ready to rock her humble little world.

"WHAT!!" Cordella had never made such a loud yell in her life. "How could you!! You're just going to go, like that? Not even ask me?? I thought you love me, Leer! I thought you loved me..." She choked back a miserable sob. This was absolutely the worst moment of her life, one she would have never foresaw coming. Here was the love of her life, her best friend, the one she'd trusted with everything-suddenly betraying her and telling her he was going, just like that. _This can't be happening..._

She had just returned and had gone to the kitchen first, when he ran up to her from behind and wasted no time in spilling the news. He had thought that she'd be happy, proud. His world too was crushed when he saw what pain he'd caused her.

"Cordelia, my night flower-can't you see, I'm doing it for something beyond us. I need to do my part to help the world become a better place. Don't think that I havn't thought of you-only every second. I can't let what I want get in the way of this though. We can come back, love. It dosn't have to be forever." He bit his lip, pleading with her with his voice and eyes as her tears splashed acid on and corroded away his built up resolve.

"Leer, we aren't heroes, we aren't warriors. What gotten into you? Even when members of our clan would have mock battles, you never took part in them. You'll die out there. Please...for me. If you love me at all!"

"Don't think that I wouldn't give you the world, but it's not mine to give. I want you to come with me. Please, let us go together. If it doesn't work-if we're not doing good-we can come back, I promise."

"No! Never!" For perhaps the first time in her life, Cordelia was blinded by rage. "Leer, if you go, I will hate you forever! It will be OVER!" She waited a moment, asking him again to stay, but he remained silent, and she'd pleaded all that she could, short of grabbing his arm and trying to hold him down. Bursting into a fresh current of tears, she fled from him to her chambers, completely forgetting about Demona and Regan.

Aaron had not been Regans close companion for nothing. He was an adventurous gargoyle, but he was not devious or scheming like she was, and he disapproved strongly of anything he viewed as wrong. He had an unpredictable temper, of which he confessed he had no control. Getting too wild could set him off. He used his temper as a crutch to never disobey his personal laws of order. He was intellectually high but self-consciously low. He was obsessed with Regan.

He had heard that Brooklyn had not come alone. He took it upon himself to go greet the newcomer, especially since she was supposedly a female, and once a second in command to Goliath. The very thought of this got him excited. He hadn't heard that she was swept up in a vendetta of violence. This would have made him furious and hate her.

His breath caught harshly in his throat when he saw her with Regan. Regan! He was seriously pissed off. She had been here, all this time, avoiding him. After all he'd done to please her. He'd dedicated every waking minute to her for so many years. Little did he know how she had had to silence so many of her thoughts with him. He catered to her, but only if she remained what he had wanted her to be, which was only about half of herself. Perhaps only the good half-but only half none the less.

The dawn came. He froze in stone, saving his anger for a full explosive effect.

Demona was back to being alone. She decided to go into the castle and see each of the clans children as they slept. She didnt know exactly how many humans would be there, but she suspected only three-Katherine, Tom and Magus. She could care less if she saw them. If she did, she would give them a piece of her mind.

There where thirty five gargoyles on Avalon, excluding her and Brooklyn. Taking her time, she examined the features of each and every one, remembering with great sadness the better days, the days before the betrayal. She saw the faces passed down by her brothers and sisters, saw their features brought back to life. She reveled in the quiet. _This is how the world should be. Peace, solitude, ultimate safety for my kind. Absolutely no humans._

Suddenly, she was disturbed. She glanced up and recognized the culprit immediately, despite the ravishing of mortal years upon her body. It was the princess Katherine. "Who are ye?" She demanded angrily, not recognizing Demona in her human form. The woman held tightly onto a dagger, a pathetic display of bravado.

"Why, don't you recognize me?" Demona asked, approaching like a tiger stalks its prey. "Are your own kind unwelcome in your dining halls now, now that you've decided to spend your life nurturing gargoyles?"

"Demona."

"I should kill you where you stand for what you did to us."

"After all these years? I've agnolaged what I've done. Have I agnolaged it directly to you? Is that what you want? Very well." She bowed her head slightly, deep in her sincerity. "I must have hurt you deeply so many years ago. I have no excuse. To treat you and yer kind like monsters when you where our salvation, was my greatest mistake of my life. There is no making up what is lost. So I only ask, please accept my apology. Its all I can give you now."

Demona's initial reaction was to try and rip off her head. It would be one more human dead, one less human to strut about and exploit the vulnerability and trusting of her kind. It was the primal reaction she had embraced for oh so many years.

She didn't though. She was frozen. Something about seeing _this_ human again. Something about her taking the blame for the massacre-the single worst moment in her life-the turn of events that made her alone.

This moment of paused caused Demona to actually look into the face of the human and actually try to see with unbiased eyes for the first time in many, many years. What she saw made her even more uneasy. Was it pain? Was it guilt? Was it a mirror of her, right now? What in the world was going on? Images of Katherines painful commentary, petty fears and shrewd dismissals of her and her kind flashed like pictures in her head, merging like a whirlpool with the image of this sincere and sorry old lady before her-graying hair and tired, bagging eyes-soft, gentle but work-worn skin and a weariness of the world nearly equal-if not surpassing her own. How could it be? Demona had lived for a 1000 years. Katherine could not be quite past seventy. She would never admit it, but at that moment she pictured herself as a hatchling, cradled in this woman's arms, crying-asking if things would be ok. Asking the human.

Demona fled. She hid in the woods for the remainder of the day and slept without dreams.

Demona awoke to the setting of the sun. She had just enough time before the spasms of pain from her transformation to ready the boat for departure. She wouldn't go near the castle again. She wouldn't come to Avalon again, either. Ever. She didn't know what had occurred, but she'd already dismissed it. _Humans will say anything to save their skins. _She reasoned.

When Regan awoke they where about to be off when a roar of fury broke through the air. "_Oh, shit_." Regan muttered after looking above and seeing who it was. It was too late for her to scurry off now. She was trapped.

"What's going on, Regan?" Aaron demanded. "What happened to you? How come you never said anything to me? I know you where hiding from me. Why? Was it something I did?"

"Aaron-it wasn't you. It was me. I need to be alone. I'm sorry."

"That's it??" His eyes burned crystal. "I think I deserve more than that. After all we did together. There has to be something. Someone doesn't just go disappear without a word to anyone for no reason, then hide from the one that was there for them the most. You owe me a good explanation, at least."

"Let it rest. There's nothing for me to say to you. I'm leaving. Goodbye, Aaron."

"Oh no your not. Not without me. I'm coming too." He eyed Demona. "I'll do anything you say. Just let me come."

Demonas arms where crossed. She raised an eyebrow at Regan. "We could use him. The fight is hard back home."

"Pfft.." Regan fumed. "Fine. But you're talking to him." She didn't know why Aaron didn't just ignore her. Why did she have to give him an explanation. Wasn't her leaving explanation enough?

The trio where then joined unexpectedly by two more figures. "Brooklyn!" Demona gasped, annoyed.

"Sorry, Demona." Brooklyn breathed. "I know you probably just wanted to dump me here, but it ain't happening. He looked over to Leer appreciatively. I've been talked back into my senses."

He was just regretting his failure in recruiting an eligible female to come with him and beginning to think he might have to turn back and try a bit more wholeheartedly when he saw Regan.

Demona was undoubtedly the most beautiful gargoyle he had ever seen, but Regan was a very, very close second. It chilled him that she looked so much like her though. What was it with the Demona relatives? They seemed to be everywhere. Wasn't one Demona enough? He didn't know how to react. Half of him wished harder to go back and try to coax along a mate. The other half, his bad half, wanted to try for her.

Demona decided for him. "Well. I would not have even taken you if I had known. She glared at Leer. And who are you?"

Leer introduced himself.

_Ah well, two more isn't going to make fighting Goliaths clan too much more painful-but I'm going to have to keep this in mind. I should know by now, they'll always fuck me up. Their as lying as the humans, every last one of them. _

"Ah well, time to go!" Regan hopped first into the boat. "No time to lose. So much time is going by on Manhattan!" She looked at Leer. "Honestly Leer, what are you doing coming along? I would have never imagined. Where's Cordelia-?"

"HEEEEERREEEE!" A soft voice carried itself determidly across the beach. Cordelia landed amid the group. "Cordelia! Night Flower!" Tears sprang to Leers eyes as he embraced his love. Cordelia embraced him back, but for the first time ever in her life, she was not filled with joy or warmth. Only fear and this new, brooding dark sense of betrayal. "I guess I'm coming along too!"

The six of them where on their way.


	3. Chapter 3

Regan held her breath the entire night. She had gotten as far as a week out to sea before though, before finding herself back ashore Avalon some morning after awakening. Only time could tell if she would finally break free. She wanted it now more than anything. She tried with determination to completely ignore Aaron.

Aaron tried to unnerve her by staring at her the entire time.

Brooklyn tried not to stare at her the entire time.

Demona sat silently, trying to decide if she was pleased or furious or both for the turn of events.

Cordelia tried to keep her breathing steady and not start crying again. _Just dont think about anything..._

Poor Leer tried in vain to ignite a friendly conversation but finally succeeded in only getting Demonas long winded "Humans are evil" speech. He initially tried to combat her position with his own reason but it was like trying to shoot down a brick fortress with bbs. Wasn't happening.

Each one of them longed for the trip to end just five minuites in.

The ship touched shore midmorning.

The group had reached a quiet and natural stretch of shore, lined with light vegitation and rolling hills. They all agreed that they should try and find some food and fresh water, as the scant provisions Demona had brought where almost exhaused, having been packed for only one and for a brief journey.

They hadn't gotten far into the woods when their attentions where captured by a scream of agony. "What was that?" Cordelia cried and nervously began to cling to Leer. "I dont know, but it sounds like someone is in trouble. This must be why we where sent!" He grew excited at the prospect of beginning his pilgramage of heroic duty so soon. He hadn't the faintest clue how exactly he was going to help whoever was in trouble, but he would somehow for sure. He took off into the direction of the scream. "Leer, wait-" Cordelia released her grip and remained frozen in place. "I think I'm going to stay here, by the shore. I'm not ready for this. She glanced at the others nervously. Are you all going?"

"I'm not." Demona replied. "I'm not in the business of aiding humans. If you want, you can come with me and we can go look for those provisions."

This sounded much more agreeably close to life at home to Cordelia. She could gather berries and look for streams. Besides, as scary as Demona was she felt safe enough around her. She didn't think that anyone would mess with her.

"Ok." She resisted the urge to tell Leer to be careful, to be back soon. Her heart hammered at her chest, desperatly trying to convince her to do so, but she would not, because she'd been betrayed.

"All right, lets go!" Regan was excited. The idea of helping a human wasn't exactly something she'd pick out to do-it certainly didn't come off to her as a worthy challenge-but it was something. Perhaps she could pick and choose what she did later. "I'll be right back Demona. Gotta have some fun." She winked. Demona shook her head. _Still so immature._

The four of them headed off, Brooklyn taking the lead.

"Stop! Please! You don't know what you're doing! When my father finds out what you've done to me, you'll be sorry!"

The four saw a middle aged woman bound up by chain. She lay on the grass, bruised and bloodied, while an enormous, hulky man in a dark navy power suit with a thick black beard and fierce obsidian eyes stood over her, a metal rod in his hand and a laugh on his face.

"I'll kill yer father too, wench. I'll kill all a yeas. It's my business, mam." He began to laugh coldly, big dirty tobacco stained teeth glinting like spikes in the moonlight, when the four gargoyles burst from the trees.

"I don't think that will be happening!" Brooklyn said, eyes glowing white as he crept toward the man. "We have business to-and thats to stop people like you."

"Aweh, how disturbing." He drawled sarcastically, "I'm being threated by a bunch of overgrown bats." He sceathed the iron rod and quick as a gunslinging cowboy brought out a blaster in one hand and a bolt gun in the other. He hadn't fought gargoyles before, but they where nothing when compaired to he was used to dealing with.

He laughed manically as he shot up the tree line. Regan and Aaron ducked behind various trees. "Shit! Aaron yelled. Getting shot at was not something he had ever planned to have happen to him. Brooklyn was an old pro at battles like this and he swooped up into the air and tried to land a kick on the man from the sky. For a big hulk however, the man was agile and he managed to duck out of the way and plant a beam smack in Brooklyns chest. The red gargoyle gasped and crumpled to the earth.

_Its up to me now. _Leer realised after Brooklyn fell-looking around and not seeing Regan or Aaron anywhere. _What can I do?_

"Ah, good sir-" He began, trying the diplomatic route. He was foced into the air when the man fired a load of blasting into his direction, debree flying in every direction where the young gargoyle had just been standing. _Ok, I'm going to have to try and fight him.. _

He tried to swoop around behind but the man was too quick, Leer to concentraited on what he himself was doing, and not on his opponant. He was quickly downed in a ray of shockwaves and blacked out.

Regan watched as the two where hauled away, along with the woman, now pathetically demoralizred. This was certainly no ordinary human. He was frighteningly powerful, and had made such short work of the two. She had to find out more, but she also had to trend ground carefully.

Regan managed to follow him to his cabin deep in the woods without being detected. She waited until the lights went out to investigate. She'd seen him take the prisionors down to a celler. The celler doors where right outside the cabin. They where made of iron and bolted with an iron chain. "Pft." Regan scuffed, eaisily breaking the chain and gaining entry. "If he thinks metal can stop a gargoyle..."

Her breath caught in her throat when she entered the basement. It was packed with a barrage of weapons and gear. A big cage sat in the corner, and an electric current pulsed through it. She saw Brooklyn and Leer inside, still out cold. She began to make her way over to try and free them when she heard someone cry out to her from the opposite corner. It was the lady.

"Come here-free me. Please."

Asrial walked over. "Why should I? For all I know, your here for a reason. Convince me otherwise."

"Indeed, I'm here for a reason, as are you...Regan."

Regans face broke out in shock. "How did you know my name?"

"I know many things. You think I am just a human, but I am not. See these chains he entraps me with? They are made of iron-the only substance to which I am vunerable."

"Your a fey." Regan gasped. "Eh. That makes me even less inclined to help you. When I lived on Avalon your kind treated my clan like playthings. Perhaps it is right that you now feel the same treatment."

The woman bowed her head. "I have been a prisinor here for a long, long time. The man is Balthazar, and he is a great hunter of my kind. He knows what he is doing. He tortures us, exploits us, and then kills us. He is perhaps the greatest enemy of our kind. We cannot kill him though, because he is human, and we as a rule cannot interfere in the lives of humans. So, as you can see, we are helpless. We could use your aid."

"Hmm. I don't know. I'm sure you've had a long life. Invunerable to a point. Certainly, you've been more blessed than me. Would you have come to my aide, if it where me captured?"

"I must admit I would not. Allow me to make you an offer than. You say I am more blessed than you because I am invulnerable to a point, and have had a long life. Would you wish for such, in exchange for freeing me?"

"What exactly are you offering?"

"What exactly do you want?"

"I want to be like Demona. I want to be human during the day, and I want to be immortal. Can you do that?" He eyes began to sparkle. This new life was really getting off to a great start.

"If that is what you wish. I give you my word that I will. Just, free me now. The night is growing young."

Regan had just begun to approach when a blast fully illuminated the half-lit basement confines. Regan nearly jumped out of her skin. She ran to duck behind an iron chest. Laserfire followed her every move. She abandoned her hiding spot when he began to stride close and swept her tail under his feet. He tripped and landed with a foundation-rocking thud. She jumped on top of him and began to try and wrestle the gun away from him. To her surprise, while wearing his suit he possessed the full strength of a gargoyle, and they where locked in a struggle until he finally succeeded in knocking her away.

Regan formed a plan. She darted in front of the woman, knowing lasers couldnt harm her. Balthazar continued to shoot, and by the time he realised what he had done he had already shot off the iron chain that held her. Regan waited for her to burst up, powerful and free, but she only weakly shrugged off the chain and staggered forward towards the door. "Whats wrong with you?" Regan yelled. "Get out of here!"

"I cant, gargoyle." She replied. "I have been poisioned-it will take a full day for me to regain my streignth. You have to destroy him-its the only way he will be stopped!"

Balthazar was furious that the woman had been unchained, and he grabbed an enormous club and made for Regan, screaming like a baratoned banshee. She caught the club as it came crashing down to her and they struggled. Regan suddenly gave and Balthazar was sent tumbling off balance, giving her just enough time to get around and rake a hole through some gears in his suit. Sparks fizzed up and the man snarled like a rapid dog. Regan turned to run towards the cage that held the two captive gargoyles, stopping at the last minuite as he barreled forward, planning to use his great weight to smash Regan into the bars. Regan, on the otherhand, had plans to reverse the tactic, and she ducked out at the last minuite and slammed herself into his back, forcing him instead of her into the strong electric current. He screamed and gurgled as he began to sizzle, his mass of thick greasy black hair popping and sparking like lightningbugs on a lawn.

Regan had honestly thought that she'd won when a brown bolt rammed into her, knocking her flat and releasing her pin on Balthazar. Aaron had come, and he grabbed her wrists and tried to pin her down as he straddled her. "What are you doing?!" Regan demanded. "Leave me alone!" She had always fancied herself stronger than Aaron, but tonight it was put to the test and she realised that it might not be so. She could see Balthazar rise in the background and a gun being lowered to her chest was the last thing she saw before blackness.

She awoke sometime later to the prodding of Brooklyn. "Hey, get up. Are you ok?"

"Ugghhh.." Regan felt like shit. Her head was going to explode.

"Was this the first time you've been knocked out?" He tried not to grin. He remembered his first time. It hurt less each time it happened.

Regan looked around. To her disappointment, she saw the woman was again the mans captive, rechained to the wall. Balthazar himself was still down with them, but this time he was asleep on a chair.

"Regan, look." He pointed to the stairs. It was Cordelia. "Cordelia! What the..."

She looked over at Leer. He was beaming with love for his girlfriend. It gushed from every one of his pores and buttered him up like a lovesick cherub.

Cordelia was very, very cautious. She made her way down the stairs in the dark, and with Brooklyns direction, found the switchboard to turn off the electric current. As soon as it was off, they where out of there.

"Not so fast! Balthazar! The prisionors are escaping!" Aaron had been upstairs, heard the noise and came running down. Balthazar jumped into action. This time, however, his suit was totaled, and the fight was largely one-sided. Balthazar was just about flung into his own cage when he picked up an iron spear and sent it sailing through the air-straight to the heart of the fay.

"No!" Regan yelped, her chance of freedom from the constraits of mortality flashing away before her eyes. Without hesitation she leaped in the way, trying to catch the spear in her hands but failing-it had been thrust too forcefully. It sunk itself deep into her chest and she fell.

They all rushed around her. Brooklyn picked her up and saw that she was dying. The wound was judt too serious to survive, even with just an hour to go before sunrise. He looked up at them gravely.

"No...what have I done..." Aarons eyes widened and he turned to Balthazar. "What have you done!" He had only wanted to prevent Regan from succeeding in freeing the woman. It would have been a petty torment, a slap in the face, an "Im better than you." Never would he have ever wished for her to die. It had been a game to him. Death had no feature in gameplay. He had only wanted her respect, to prove to her that he was worthy of her reconsideration. Now she was going to die.

With an anguished roar, he flung Balthazar backwards and dragged him by the arms like a ragdoll. The man was at least equal in size to the midsized male, but without his suit or gun he was powerless.

"Aaron, dont! What are you doing!" Brooklyn yelled, but it was too late. Aaron slammed the man down onto a weapon rack, impailing him upon a dozen impliments of torture and killing him dead.

He then went up to the fey, eyes glowing. "This is your fault too...she was trying to save you..."

"And she would have succeeded, had you not intervined."

"I didnt cause her to die! Heal her! Heal her, or I'll kill you!"

"Is that what you want then, for freeing me? Regans life restored? Or do you want something more..."

"Yes, yes. I want...I want her to remember me forever, until her last day. I want her to always know who is responsible for her being alive!"

"Very well. The cards have been arranged. Free me now, there isnt much time-once she is dead there is nothing I can do."

Aaron broke off the chains and instantly the fey held out her hands and a white light bemaed throughout the cellar. Regan lifted into the air and the spear clanked to the floor as her body mended from the inside out.

"Regan, awake. You say you wished to be like Demona. Human during the day, an immortal. I grant it to you-but, like Demona-you will be bound. Aaron, you wish for her to always know that it is you for whom she lives. From this day forward, you are linked as are Demona and Macbeth. When one dies, the other dies. When one lives, the other lives. Only by the others hand shall either of you truely perish."

With that, she collapsed to the ground, completely spent. They all crowed around her, disbelieving. "You all may go." She said. "Your duty with me is done, I am free. I will recover during the day. Thank you."

The sun rose on them then and for the first time, Regan saw the day.

She couldnt believe it. The first time she went outside, she thought she was blinded. The sun was so bright. Sounds she'd never heard before echoed through the trees. It was fantastic.

From the moment she'd first seen Demona, she knew that she wanted to be just like her. When the older gargoyle had told her her story about how she was granted her immortality and turned human, Regan had wanted that too. Never in a million years would she have fathomed that it would actually happen, and certainly not so soon. Now she was excited to share her good fortune with her new friend. She already viewed Demona as a mentor boarderlining saviour and had been so immediatly taken by her that she had decided to obey her without question. Regan was a brave, headstrong, adventurous gargoyle, but she wasnt really a leader. All her life she had secretly longed to find someone that she would die to follow. She wasn't yet sure why, but she finally felt that she had with Demona. Demona was someone who would tell her what to do, and Regan could bet that that something would most likely be devious and fun.

Demona had journied to the nearest village and then gone in to buy provisions after she turned human. She had just traveled back to the boat when she noticed another human standing there, as if waiting for her. She paced forward quickly, squinting. "Regan?"

"Demona! You won't believe what happened today. Let me tell you..."

Demona was dumbfounded. She was also a bit disturbed that the fey had given away immortality that easily. Immortal enemies where not good ones. She could only hope now that Regan remained enlightened to the wisdom of her experiences and continued to look up to her. She was now also concerned about Aaron.

"Regan, now you are connected to Aaron. He is an immortal-a great potential ally-or enemy. Believe me when I tell you its not good to have the one to whom you are board set against you. I was unlucky enough to be paired with a human, but not you. When the sun goes down, I think you need to talk to him and get him on our side."

Regan grimaced. "You don't know what your asking. He's obsessive. Just look at how he's acted. It isn't normal..."

"No, its not. All the more reason to not have him as an enemy. Look, if you want I'll talk to him first. Then I'll tell you what I think you should do."

Regan concented. "Ok. Works for me." She yawned. "What IS this feeling?"

"I think its exhaustion. Welcome to the experience of falling asleep..."

The next night after the others awoke and joined them on the craft, Demona talked to Aaron as agreed. She tried to take him aside and be descreet, but he wouldn't have any of it. "Whats this, Regan?" He demanded. "Now that we are bound by our lives, you have your new _interest _speak to me. Speak to me yourself! You are a pathetic excuse of a living creature. You'd be better off as a slug-cold and slimey and slithering around leaving trails of slime. You couldn't even give me a goodbye, an explaination. Well, the tables are turned now, arn't they? Are you thinking that now you might need my favor? Well. You'll never have it. I'm over you."

"Hmph, good. Only the pity you wern't over me to begin with. You had to climb on this boat and mess with my life."

"Only the way you messed with mine, _Beauty_."

"Only the way you saw it."

"You lead me on then, you-"

"Enough!" Brooklyn roared. "Please, you two-for our sakes-can you talk about this when us mortals are dead? I mean, you have all enternity now to go over it..."

Demona chuckled. "I'll mediate, anytime..."

"You would." Brooklyn hissed.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"Shut up, Brooklyn."

"Dont get into shit with me, Demona. I already hate your guts..."

"Why? Because your a brainwashed fool-"

"Brainwashed?? You think I'm brainwashed because I dont fall for _your_ brainwashing bullshit?!"

"Please, someone, save me!"

Cordelia yelled into the still night. "I want to go home! I can;t take this!"

"Please, night blossom, be brave..."

"Leer, stop them fighting. Please, I'm here because of you..."

"I know love, thank you..."

"You know Regan, you should take an example from Cordelia, how a friends supposed to act."

Aaron piped in.

"You mean like you-unable to think for yourself, clinging to someone else all the time! No offence Cordelia!" Regan retorted, fired up.

Cordelia: "What? That most certainly is offensive-I always liked you Regan. But now, I'm not so sure-that was a very mean thing to say!"

Aaron: "Would you like it better if everyone just dissapeared without a trace when someones shit didnt stink to their liking?"

Leer: I agree Regan, you really should be more thoughtful of others..."

Cordelia: "You tell her to be thoughtful? What about you! You dragged me out here, risking our lives! You would have left me cold if I hadn't come. Hows that for treating somebody! All the vows you made to me! Nothing! Do you have any idea about how I feel?"

Leer: "You know I love you! I would never leave you forever! How can you ask me to care about your feelings, when you are not even trying to care about mine!"

Regan: "If leaving was so shitty, you leave too! Is that so hard a concept? You keep thinking I'm like everybody else-I'm not, and you can't accept it!"

Demona: "Regan, silence! Aaron shouldn't leave. He can help us fight the humans-"

Brooklyn: "PLEASE! KILL ME NOW!"


	4. Chapter 4

The six gargoyles next arrived on the scene of a battle. Billows of smoke thickened the air and watered their eyes to the point that none of them could see much more than a few feet in front of them. Cries of pain, exhaustion grief and courage wafted otherworldly near then distant through the stillness of the night. This was a scene with which Demona was right at home. "We have to have journeyed into the past." She announced. She glanced at a soldier passing near them. "Judging from his attire, we have to be in Scotland, around the year 1200."

"Wonder why Avalon sent us here." Brooklyn wondered aloud. He was pleased to have ended up there and than. It was a great chance for him to catch up on the life he'd missed due to the massacre.

"The year 1200...that's not long after we where born, was it?" Leer asked. "I wonder if clans are about?"

"There should be." Demona answered. I left Scotland for awhile after the whole ordeal with Macbeth, but when I returned around 1400 there where still two major clans and a handful of groups. I doubt that Avalon sent us here to socialize however. Most likely it wants us to meddle in some human affair."

They snuck in closer to watch the battle. It seemed like an invading army was just completing a victory over the residents of a small castle. The invaders swarmed about like the endless number of ants in an anthill, shouting and roaring and occasionally running men through as they stood up for a few last desperate protests.

"Should we help them?" Leer asked, obviously disturbed. He looked towards Brooklyn, seeing him as the most experienced of the group maintaining sensibility.

"I don't know." He replied. "I can't tell who's the good guy or who's the bad guy. Hmm...What would Goliath do?"

"Goliath!" Demona sneered. "Undoubtedly he'd risk his life and those of his clan barging in there to break it up. I, on the other hand, fail to see how doing that is of any good purpose. Best to leave the humans to their own quarrels, if nothing else it will leave less of them alive."

"That's a horrible thing to say!"

Cordelia whispered.

"Get used to it." Brooklyn replied. "Your right though Demona. Goliath would barge in and break it up. I guess that's what I'm gonna have to do!"

"A good plan!" Leer agreed. "I'm with you!"

Aaron looked over to Demona and Regan, the two females exchanging unanimously annoyed looks. "I'm with you too." He grinned scornfully. "Seems like it's the right thing to do, undoubtedly."

Cordelia was frightened and stayed, silent.

The three left then, wasting no time. They busied themselves first with disarming the soldiers who where killing men as they fled. Demona Cordelia and Regan found themselves squatting in the bushes alone. "The fight looks like it could be fun." Regan began, a bit cautiously. "It could be exciting to turn the tide on those attacking humans. See them run, savor the taste of their hard-won victory being knocked unexpectedly from their grasp."

Demona grinned. "I think I like the way you think. Hell, why not? I'm not getting any older."

"Be careful." Cordelia warned, secretly glad they where going to help her friends.

The attackers where the Scots. They had been attacking a castle inhabited by the Norwegians, who where under armed and understaffed, far away from any worthwhile support from their king and just a hair away from complete defeat. Brooklyn obtained this information from a soldier he'd picked up by the back of his shirt.

"I don't know why yer pickin on us, monster." The Scotsman growled. "This land belongs teh us. Where just reclaimin it."

"That may well be." Brooklyn said, "But that's no excuse to murder someone who's given up."

Together, the six gargoyles quickly subdued the attackers on the outside. It quickly seemed like there where alot less of them.

"Where did they all go?" Regan wondered.

They didn't have to wonder long. Like a great wave in the ocean, they suddenly poured out from the castle gates and a rainstorm of arrows stung down from the ramparts.

"We have to get out of here!" Demona shouted. They wasted little time retreating into the trees out of range of the arrows.

"Dawn is just an hour off." Brooklyn suddenly noticed. "We have to find shelter. Perhaps well be better able to deal with this tomorrow night."

"Good idea." Leer agreed. They began to travel into the woods when they noticed a group of men, dirty and battle worn, making their way towards them. One man stood front and center and spoke.

"Where you fighting for us? Forgive me, but I've never seen any of you around here before. Where did you come from?"

"Eh, where we came from-that's kinda hard to explain." Brooklyn said with a dry laugh. "But yea. We tried to save a few of your guys. Seems like your pretty outnumbered."

The man lowered his head. "Yes, that's true. Do you know about what happened?"

"No, care to tell us?"

"All right. He looked at the sky. I know dawn is approaching and you'll want to be off. I'll make it short.

Our king in Norway sent us here to protect this part of the aisle. The Scots though, they want this isle back. Personally, I'd just as well let them have it, but orders are orders." He glanced down sadly. "I've got to obey my king. When we got to the castle, it was deserted by humans. There where creatures protecting it, though-ones strange to us, and frightening. Gargoyles like you.

We told them why we where there and although they didn't like it, they allowed us to stay. We wouldn't have survived it they hadn't. There where probably a good forty of them and they where thriving, lots of children and ones of old age and the like. Things where all going well until the Scots laid siege on us. The gargoyles where a great help providing us with food and keeping them at bay, but then it happened. Somehow, someone turned on us from the inside and managed to smash and murder over half the clan. When the others awoke, they felt betrayed and took off into the hills, leaving us to the Scots mercy."

Demonas eyes glowed their brilliant red of rage. "You failed to protect them, after all they did for you. You deserve to suffer, pathetic human."

The man looked a bit shocked at her rage, but remained humble and accepting. "Yes, I agree. We failed them, miserably. For that, I am nothing but regret."

"Regret." Demona fumed. "Regret is worth nothing."

"Regret is only worthless to one who has lived a perfect life." Cordelia replied. "If one has made no mistakes, of course they have to need for regret. Only a fool however, makes mistakes and does not use regret to change themselves for the better."

"There is no excuse for regret to begin with." Demona brewed back, her voice like the powerful hum of a distant jet plane, warning the listener for a sudden blasting thunder when it came to pass directly overhead. "The humans throw away the lives of our kind, and then play us back into their game with sob stories like this one. Trust me, I am older than all of you-I know how it is."

"You see, Demona-but you don't get it." Brooklyn said between gritted teeth. "In your case, there is every reason for regret. Perhaps the absence of it in your life is the very reason history has kept repeating itself around you!"

"I should kill you where you stand!" Demona roared.

"Go ahead and try it!" The red male snarled back.

"Stop! Stop!" Aaron yelled. He didn't want that bitch Demona to get the pleasure of knocking Brooklyn around, as he assumed would happen.

"What's wrong with you Demona? You hate the humans for murdering your kind, and then you try and do the same. And you expect us to follow you? Maybe an idiot would..." He raised an eyebrow at Regan, quickly glancing at her through a narrow eye. She ignored him and continued to stand with her arms crossed in front of her.

"An idiot who wants to live. Forget it. There will be time to deal with you later. I think its time you go off and find your shelter."

"Good idea." Leer breathed, quickly wiping off a bead of sweat.

The four left Demona and Regan, who felt free to stay in the forest, since they would turn human during the day. Demona needed to cool off. She would have easily ripped Brooklyn's head off right then and there, but for some reason after he left, she was glad she hadn't. She did admit inside that her quick temper hashed her better judgment. She would always try to kill them if they provoked her, even though she admitted inside it was wrong, because ultimately, all gargoyles where innocent, just misguided by their instincts. If they provoked her though, she reasoned, they took a chance at her killing them. It was just the way it was. She couldn't possibly be expected to behave otherwise. They didn't care about her. Why should she care about them, individually?

The four flying for shelter soon found a cave tucked away in the thick brush of a valley. "Look!" Cordelia shouted suddenly. They looked down and saw what had her so excited. Two gargoyles stood outside, watching. The four landed.

"Who are you?" One of the gargoyles asked, amazed. "I'm Brooklyn." The red male replied, first to respond as was becoming usual. The others piped their names in behind him. "We're travelers here. Mind if we stay the night?"

"Ill have to ask our leader, Brooklyn. The male gargoyle replied. I'm sure it will be all right, though. Other gargoyles are always a welcome site. Even ones that have adopted human names...didn't expect you to take the who are you question so literally." He raised a brow. "Keep guard, brother." He nodded towards the other male, then disappeared into the cave. He returned not two moments later with a milky green female with sparkling hazel eyes and snow-white hair. She had a small bump like a horn on the tip of her nose, giving her otherwise smooth and compact, adorable but soot-smeared face a unique and memorable quirk. Her forehead was carved backwards into two dual layered spikes that curved down around her head soon enough to avoid passing off as horns. She had double wings like Desdemona and although she was a bit on the short side she looked very strong, and although she looked young, she appeared very wise.

"This is our second-our leader." The male announced, correcting himself mid-sentence.

"Thank you for the introduction, brother. He has told me that you wish to stay the day. Seeing how quickly the sun approaches, I can hardly see how I could refuse you. Please, come inside. We can share our stories when we awaken tomorrow...should we be so lucky."

Brooklyn tried to pretend he didn't notice the deadness in her eyes as she added the last comment. The sun rose and as his body turned to stone his heart could only remain the same in terms of heavy weight.

Sometime during the day, Demona and Regan had managed to track them down and appeared shortly after they awoke. "Are they from your clan?" The green female asked Brooklyn. "Eh, better say "Group"." He replied. "One of them doesn't belong to any clan." "Not belong to a clan? How awful-is there a reason?"

"Many reasons." He sighed. "She's out to annihilate he human race, for one."

The green one looked at Brooklyn sadly. "She must have been subjected to a massacre like we've just been through."

"I kinda heard about it from one of the soldiers. I'm very sorry. My clan suffered a casualty like this one. Only a handful survived."

"Things are supposed to be just fantastic until something like this happens. It doesn't take much, I'm beginning to see. One mistake, and we're dead." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm alone now." She whispered. "I can't let them see it, because I am now their leader-but I am lost. My mate was killed in the assault."

"I'm sorry." Brooklyn said.

"How did you find us?"

"Well, were travelers. We go to places where supposedly we're needed. It was just chance we stumbled upon you. We where in the area and just looking for shelter."

"Well, I'm glad your here." She gave him such a sad, sincere smile that he almost felt it beam a shot of warmth into his chest. Thoughts of them together suddenly flashed through his mind. _She just lost her mate. _Brooklyn had to remind himself._ Stay focused on helping her. _

"Are you going to stay here?" Leer asked, butting in.

"Perhaps, a few days..."

"If you stay, you are fools." Demona suddenly pitched in. "If we found this cave so easily, it will be just as easy for humans to find it, if they are looking for places gargoyles like to stay. You can trust me to know-I've been hunted for a long, long time."

The others looked around nervously. "Who would want to look for us?" One of them asked.

"The humans!" Demona roared. "They WILL come looking for you. Never doubt that their out to kill you. You must always be on the move."

"That's no life, Demona." Brooklyn replied. "Strength is in friends. Seems to me like the Norwegians where this clans friends. I think we should help them get back together."

"Humans are never friends." She growled.

"I certainly beg to differ." He retorted. "Anyway, I hardly think anyone here wants to live the life of a fugitive, or of a terrorist. Am I right?" He looked around, defiant.

"We are not terrorists." The green one answered. "And some of us are old, or very young. Many of us are also with egg. Living as fugitives is not really an option. I hesitate to get back with the humans though. It was hard enough trusting them before this happened. I don't know if I could bear living among them now, after whats happened."

"Perhaps we can live here and maybe the Scots will leave the castle." One of her clan volunteered.

"And you'll live in the castle unprotected by day? What a horrible plan." Regan said.

"Well, it might work if we are thought to be statues..."

"The humans will know what you are!" Demona boomed. "You can leave nothing for chance. The only sure way to be safe is to destroy the humans for good."

"We'll take a vote." Green female decided. "This is a decision we all have to make."

She faced her clan. "How many think we should flee and try to stay hidden?" No hands where raised. "How many want to go back and help the Norwegians reclaim their castle?" Two hands. "How many want to stay here?" The remaining hands shot up, making the choice obvious. "I think we have our answer." She said, looking at Brooklyn almost guiltily. "I think it's the best way. Even if we helped the humans regain the castle, I could never again live among them. The Scots would just attack again, and we'd be in the same danger. I'm sorry."

Brooklyn put a hand on her shoulder. "Sister, I know I'm here for a reason. I think that reason is to help you and your clan from making a big mistake. I'm going to have to go and help the Norwegians."

"I'm sorry you feel we are making a mistake." She replied, her voice suddenly becoming a bit chilled. "You may do what you like. I have no authority over you. I do hope you'll be all right though. There are close to three hundred invaders. Are you going to fight them alone?" He tone grew softer at the end.

"No. I'm pretty sure Aaron and Leer will come with me."

"Three against an army isn't good odds, even for gargoyles. She motioned to the two who had voted to help the humans. "Brother, sister-Brooklyn is going to try and restore the Norwegians place at the castle. Do you wish to help him?"

The two nodded. "Very well. You may go." She looked into Brooklyn's eyes. "I wish you luck...Brooklyn." She narrowed her eyes in a kind way. "If you don't mind my saying, that's a very strange name. Perhaps just as strange as gargoyles having names. Is it a tradition where you're from?"

"Yes, where I'm from...but my first clan did the whole brother and sister thing. Can't say I miss it. It was good in its own ways, but awfully confusing." He shrugged. "Brooklyn is a place by my home."

"Your home must be very strange." She said, smiling for the first time. "Brooklyn, a stranger from a strange land, here to help us make the right decision and save us. I hope this is the case."

"I hope so too."

They all went together-Demona coming despite Brooklyn's objections. The idea of fighting humans was just too appealing, whatever cause aside.

"Welcome back to the days of my youth!" She cried to Regan, almost gleeful. "Humans where even more ridiculous prey before they armed themselves with guns and the like!"

All of the Scots where now in the castle. The ramparts where loaded with soldiers on watch, and they noticed the gargoyles right away. They all managed to land before the men could string up their arrows thanks to the cover of a moonless night. For several minutes they battled fiercely. Demona was once again The Demon, tossing men aside like bags of moth-eaten flour. Regan watched in reverence and began to copy her soulless tactics. Brooklyn was furious at that development, but he knew it was coming and couldn't stop it in the heat of battle. For the first time, he wished Goliath and his other brothers where around. They always got the job done and dealt with Demona as well.

Suddenly, Leer cried out. "Cordelia! Where is she! I just turned around for a minute-!" The others looked around, to no avail. The mauve gargoyle was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, a mans voice echoed from a balcony above them on the highest tower. "If Cordelia is the name you call that other monster, we have her. She is our prisoner. Retreat now, or well kill her!"

"No!" Leer screamed. "What have I gotten her into?!"

"Calm yourself." Brooklyn ordered. "Well get her back."

Suddenly, a new cry rang out into the night. Before he could react, the man was knocked silly by a green gargoyle plummeting from the sky. It was the clan leader.

"I thought you might need some help." She shouted, smiling down on Brooklyn. She picked the man up by his collar and snarled into his face. "All right, scumbag-I know your pretty high in the ranks. I'm sure your men would not want to lose you. Where is our friend?"

The man twitched in fear and tried vainly to release her hold. She merely continued to star at him, eyes bright red with fury. "All right, she's in the dungeon!" He answered. "Lets go!" Brooklyn shouted. "You're coming too." The green female said, disarming the man and carrying him along like a ragdoll. They descended the stairs...right into an awaiting attack. They suddenly found themselves assaulted by a barrage of arrows from the front and several rows of archers gathered behind them to block their escape. "Don't make a move!" The female yelled. "Or your friend gets it too!"

"I don't think so, monsters." A man said from the very rear of the archers. "Don't forget-we still have your friend. "Give up now, or she and all of you die, here and now!"

Leer, Brooklyn and the green female looked around, observing their lack of options. They had no idea about where Cordelia really was.

Just before the three where about to turn the man over and surrender, the ruckus above reached a much higher pitch and before they realized what was happening the commanding officer-the man who had been standing behind the rows of archers and directing them-found himself in the grips of a new, beaming-eyed creature. "Brother!" The green female shouted with joy. "Are the others with you?"

"Yes, leader." He replied, smiling. "We're all here. Gargoyles need to stick together."

"Thank you." She breathed. She hoped none of them would regret coming.

With all of the gargoyles there it wasn't long before the Scots picked up their gear and fled. The gargoyles chased them all the way to their boats and even saw them off. The other gargoyles had summoned the Norwegian troops and the men had joined them on the last attack. After the Scots had fled they all searched different parts of the castle and soon found Cordelia, wounded and amply bound but conscious and alive.

"My love, I'm so sorry this happened to you." Leer apologized. "I should have been protecting you."

Cordelia's face was streaked with the remnants of dried-off tears. "Don't apologize Leer. Not here, not now. You wanted to fight and be a hero. All I wanted was for us to live a happy life...a LONG life. I don't know if I see that happening anymore." Her voice cracked, but she looked down, closed her eyes and regained her composure. She brought her eyes back to him with renewed sincerity. "These past few days have been by far the worst of my life-and today, by far, the worst of the lot. We aren't heroes, Leer. We aren't warriors. Stop trying to be something your not! I almost died today. Leer, I've had enough. I can only hope at this point that Avalon will call me back home." At the mention of Avalon, her voice finally broke and she cascaded into a well of tears and sobs. She ran off, desperate to find a bit of solitude where she could forget the sorry state of her current affairs and just enjoy a bit of oblivion. Leer moved to follow her, but Brooklyn stopped him and shook his head. Leer didn't like it, but he understood. His shoulders drooped dejectedly.

They all met at the center courtyard of the castle. The Nigerians rejoiced in their unexpected reversal of fortune, and suggested a grand feast to thank the gargoyles for their aide. The green leader shook her head, however. "I'm sorry. I don't think I could ever live among humans again. Not after what happened."

The captain looked over her sadly. "Friend, I know I can never apologize enough to you. I don't understand how that person went undetected in our ranks, and then managed to inflict so much damage before he escaped. All I can do is promise to enact measures to prevent this in the future. If you'll only trust me..."

"Foolish human!" Demona suddenly burst in, raging. "Just be glad we saved your puny hides tonight. How dare you ask for her trust after you are responsible for the death of half her clan. She should kill you for your treachery."

"Will you ever learn Demona...there's something in this world called forgiveness..." Droned Brooklyn.

"There is also something called stupidity."

Demona retorted.

The green female shook her head. "Enough, brother...sister." She eyed Demona cautiously, unsure how to take her. "I am tired. My clan is tired. We have decided that we cannot trust the humans anymore. I'm sorry, but from this day forward, we are both on our own."

The man nodded sadly. "I wish you the best luck in your decision. We will certainly miss you all."

The gargoyles left without further response.

Day came. The gargoyles remained in their cave, now statues, helpless and frozen in sleep. Demona and Regan where also exhausted and settled down for a nap near the entrance. Not long in, they where disturbed by the sounds of many, many footsteps, crashing through the trees-straight towards them.

Regan peeked out. "Its the Scots!" She cried.

The two looked around the entrance to the cave. It was so tramped down, it was pathetically obvious that the gargoyles had been staying there. There was no way that the approaching mob would miss it.

"What are we going to do?" She asked Demona.

"This is very bad." The older female breathed. "As humans, we don't stand much of a chance." She picked up two swords from the interior of the cave and handed one to Regan. "We'll have to make a stand." The two readied themselves at the mouth of the cave. All too soon, the Scots burst into the tramped-down clearing and spotted the cave immediately. "In there!" The leader yelled. There had to be thirty of them, if not more. They where all armed with heavy clubs and maces. They paused when they spotted the two women.

"Well well, what have we here?" He licked his lips as he eyed them. "What is this-a welcome home present for our return to our castle? Or maybe a thank-you, for killing off a few more of those pestilent gargoyle creatures."

"Get lost." Demona replied, her voice as venomous as it came. Where she in gargoyle form, the lot of them would undoubtedly have taken a collective step backwards. As it was though, they had already dismissed them both as threats, and where now entertaining the thoughts of enslaving them.

"Seize them!" He ordered. "I want them alive, though. Alive and still kicking-but not too hard." He laughed.

Demona and Regan fought and managed to down several men, but inevitably they where overcome by the much larger numbers of overall bigger and stronger foes. They where tied up and restrained, each by two men.

"Lets see what's in here now..." One of the men said evilly, already certain of the answer. "Oh, my. A whole clan of gargoyles. Now why would you two lovely ladies be protecting these "wonderful" creatures? Why, did I not tell you how they made utter fools of us last night, by aiding the invaders in restealing our castle? I mean, really...I think they should all take a break from this protecting bullshit...hahaha...should we make em take some breaks, men??"

The group yelled cheerfully in agreement. "Lets get to it then!" He cried, eyes gleaming with the utter sick pleasure of revenge. He raised his club high into the air.

A whir cut through the rowdy air, suddenly bringing the group to unexpected silence. Then, just as abruptly, the unnatural moment of still erupted as a mass of men spewed forward from the trees. It was the Norwegian force, in numbers. Every one of them attacked with such determined might that the Scots where knocked so utterly senseless that they had to turn several times in circles before they managed to make off in a retreat. Once again, the Norwegians where cheering for their victory. They cut loose Regan and Demona.

The two where dumbfounded. "What are you doing here?" Demona demanded, her usual tone of scorn mixed in with some genuine bewilderment. "Why aren't you defending you castle?"

"Some things are more important." The captain replied. "Even thought he gargoyles insisted in keeping to themselves, I knew they weren't safe. Even if we have to come every day without them knowing, I vow to do whatever it takes to protect them. Its the least I can do, since I feel personally responsible for not catching the guy who killed so many of their family."

Regan looked over at Demona. The female looked to be caught up deep in thought. Suddenly she shook her head, scowled angrily, and stormed off into the trees.

"What's her problem?" The captain asked Regan, confused. "I don't know for sure." She replied. "I think she wants to believe you, but she can't. She already has an answer for every problem the gargoyles face. In that answer, trust is not a part."

"I don't think I want to know her answer."

"Your right, you don't."

The men left right before night fell. They promised to be back the next night, even though Regan told them that she would be requesting that the clan move. The men still vowed that as long as they could, they would patrol and try to protect them.

When the gargoyles awoke, Regan told them about what had happened. A wave of panic swept through the clan.

"Were going to have to move." The green female said. "And so, begins our fugitive life."

"It doesn't have to be a fugitive life." Brooklyn said. "I think the humans proved something to you today. They vowed to protect you. I know its alot to gamble, but if you ask me, I think it's your best shot." He sighed. "Back home, my clan too entrusts its life to humans." He thought of Elisa and Xanatos. "Its just a matter of finding the ones you can trust."

The green female sighed. "I would like to trust them again, Brooklyn. I'm just so lost...so lost, and so alone. The human killed my love that day. He was my strength. When I found out he was among those killed and I was now the leader, I asked the fates to lend me strength to do what was best for my clan. Perhaps you are that strength they sent to me."

"If they sent me to you, don't think of me as a strength." He chuckled dryly. "Sometimes I'm not even strong enough for myself."

"When I talk to you, I feel stronger. You know, I feel inside your words are true. I just don't want to admit it, for fear that I am wrong. I think I am trying to run away from what I've thought was right, all along."

"Is that what you mean by strength, then? You want someone to tell you your instinct is right?" Tentatively, he gently reached for her chin and cupped it in his hand, so that he could look deep into her eyes. "I believe your instincts are right. Don't let you tell yourself that you are nothing but a good leader."

She felt herself melting as she gazed back at him. She shouldn't be feeling this way, after just losing her mate, her love...it wasn't right...

"But I am not strong..."

"Strength alone does not a good leader make."

"Brooklyn..."

"What is it?"

"I don't know if I'm up to leading, alone. Are you a leader?"

He was caught by surprise. His heart knotted as he guessed what was coming-a question he had been longing to hear, longing to say yes to...but never could, not in a thousand years.

"Only when necessary."

"Would you be a leader for me? What I'm asking is...will you stay with us? We need you. Brooklyn."

Brooklyn's innards both swelled with pride and shriveled with angst. Here was a dream: He could live as a leader and probably have this beautiful female as a mate. He could live very much as he did before the Wyvern massacre, and still be a hero, a protector-but deep inside, he knew it could never be-because they had everything they needed without him. One more gargoyle would never make a difference in this place and time.

"I would love...to stay." He said, his voice pained and mellow. "I cant. I think you already have all you need...without me. I know you have what it takes to lead your clan. Just follow your instincts, let them guide you."

A single tear rolled down her cheek. "I suppose you'll be on your way, then?"

"Only once I've heard what you've decided."

"An individual is only as strong as the friends they keep. I think I'm going to be keeping my friends."

"Good choice."

They smiled one last smile, touched one last time, and before the green could lean forward for a kiss Brooklyn turned away and left into the forest.

The five returned to the boat where Demona was waiting. They boarded without a word. Brooklyn of all of them was most grateful for the unexpected silence during the first part of the trip. He didn't think he could handle much noise. He didn't know if he could handle anything. He didn't notice Demona approach him until he felt her hand on his shoulder.

He looked up, annoyed and suspicious at her intrusion, but she quickly withdrew it and whispered down to him.

"I think you saved their lives."

"You agnolage that Demona?"

She nodded once, her movement slight and measured.

"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

The next night on the water went smoothly enough considering its rough company until a great and sudden jar rocked the little boat and sent its passengers tumbling amok and bouncing off its edges and each other. A few annoyed glares began to solidify into words but before anything was actually said another, greater impact struck and this time the boat turned over and all six of them went in the water. If it where not bad enough that a big motorboat was overturned on top of them and the blackness of the sea was thick, a sudden mighty undercurrent ripped them all away from the surface and sent them swirling about like particles in a swirling glass.

Cordelia awoke, unsurprisingly, on a shore. She looked around quickly but soon discovered that the others where nowhere to be seen. A cold wave of fear sliced through her-if she was alone, it would be for the first time in her life. Not only that, but she would also be lost for the very first time as well-and she wasn't much liking the looks of the place where she now found herself. Enormous box like castles loomed cold and tall like iron fences all around her and their solid numbers blocked off any hopes of a glimpse of what may lay beyond them. Unnerving and unwavering strong yellow lights beamed like eyes in patterns of rows and columns along their flat smooth surfaces. Hardly had her eyes begun to organize these sights into recognizable images when her ears decided to remember how to operate, and a flood of wildly unnatural noise began to pierce her drums like weapons.

"No, no!" She begged out softly. "This isn't happening. I'm not alone, not here-Where's Katherine, Diane, anyone! Oh, my mother, friends, I'll never see you again." Her words began to grow softer and more bumbled as she began to lose control of her tears. She almost cried out for Leer but stopped herself in time and forced his name silent. She would not call him-he wouldn't care, not really. His actions in even leaving and allowing her to come told her more strongly than any false words he might say that his "mission" was all he lived for now. His mission, and his sense of self-satisfaction.

She called Aaron instead. Aaron was a brave gargoyle, and he'd always come off to her as sensible and wise, well read and compassionate. It suddenly struck her that Aaron would know exactly how she felt-being tossed aside uncompassionatly after some ignorant whim struck said partner-and this realization made her want to find him even more, so she could share with him her mutual feeling and hopefully find and give some comfort. He'd always seemed like he'd needed someone to understand what he'd gone through. Now Cordelia did.

Suddenly, as if in response to her thoughts, a dark shape's glistening movement caught her eye and she found Aaron crawling to his feet, freshly washed up out of the water. She scanned the rest of the shore quickly as she ran up to help him but failed to spot anyone else surfacing. She hoped they where all right. She couldn't even think about them drowning-she could only hope that Avalon had sent them elsewhere and that it would reunite them when it was ready.

"Cordelia!" Aaron said, turning away briefly to cough out the last bit of liquid in his lungs and then wipe a few more drips off his brows. "Where are the others?"

"I haven't found them, Aaron. Well have to search the shore."

Suddenly, a startled shout struck the air. The two gargoyles looked up quick towards the noise and saw a middle aged man dressed in a strange baggy, reflective suit stopped dead from a casual jog staring straight at them and not moving. Suddenly and without a further peep, he bolted back the way he came. Aaron and Cordelia had only a few minutes after that to shrug the reaction off and do a bit of searching before screaming, dancing blue and red lights swiveled wildly on the scene and a small force of blue-clothed men jumped out at them, tightly clenching small black things and trying to bellow out orders over the din of their surroundings. Instinctively, Cordelia cowered behind Aaron and the two of them put their hands into the air after they made that dictation out.

A few seconds ticked by. Time slowed, noise softened. Confusion and fear twisted into shock. Cordelia began to feel cold, weak. She wondered if her legs could hold her for much longer. "Are these humans?" She managed to ask Aaron.

"I'm not sure." He answered. "It looks like it-but these things, this place-its so strange. It's like magic."

"Not magic. Its called technology-and yes, we're humans." A suave, confident voice suddenly materialized like a safe zone out of the playing field. A tall, dark haired woman in a red leather jacket strode over to them briskly. "Name's Elisa." She greeted. "Are you two alone?"

"I think so...we where with others, but we haven't found them yet-"

"No time to search now. We have to get out of here, hurry."

She turned and pointed them towards a car sitting nearby and held her arms to their backs as she hustled them to it. The two crammed awkwardly into the backseat and Elisa slammed the door behind them, wasting no time at all leaping into the drivers seat and screeching out of there.

"Whew, thank the lucky stars I convinced the mayor to form make me chief of the gargoyle division two weeks ago. Had you guys arrived any sooner and there probably would have been no protocol for dealing with gargoyles-probably just curse and shoot."

"Point and shoot? Shoot what?" Aaron asked.

"Shoot what? Guns, bullets. Did you just arrive here? From where?" The woman strained to study their images from her rearview mirror. She was always calm and cool outwardly but inside her heart hammered from the rush of the best kind of call. New gargoyles-fantastic.

Aaron cleared his throat. He had already composed himself. He hadn't been too frightened back at the beach, more annoyed at the perceived rudeness of this new places residents. He hoped this human was more polite than the others they'd left.

"Allow me to introduce us. My name is Aaron, this is Cordelia. We come from Avalon."

"Avalon!" Elisa grinned widely for what must have been the first time since Brooklyn disappeared. "Why?"

"First, can you tell us where we are?" he asked with single noted chuckle. "I can't say that I've ever experienced a greeting quite like the one we had back there."

Elisa hid a grimace with a smile. "Your in Manhattan, New York. And I'm afraid that's typical of what you're going to get around here. People aren't too used to seeing gargoyles."

"But you are?" Cordelia peeped.

"She must be one of the humans Brooklyn talked about, who knew his clan." Aaron replied to her. "Where you there when he was talking about how some humans are friends with them like our family is with us back home? And Manhattan-I think that's where he said he was from! Do you know Brooklyn, Elisa?"

"Know him?" She replied, elated to hear him mentioned and finally have all the pieces to that darn puzzle she'd been trashed over. "He's my great friend! We've all been worried sick about him. He just left us without saying a word to anybody!"

"Just left?" Aaron huffed, disbelieving. He had considered Brooklyn to be a stand up kind of guy-not averting trash like another he knew. "He didn't tell you he was going?"

"No! We where all looking all over for him. We where so worried! What happened? Is he all right?"

Aaron scowled as he remembered how he'd searched all over for Regan when she first disappeared-how he'd worried she was lost or hurt. She'd never said anything, and it had all seemed fine between them-and his conscience could never let him just accept the truth-because if she had truly been hurt, or needing and he hadn't been there, he would have never forgiven himself. The pang of anguish he had stifled awhile back resurfaced just briefly enough at this retracting of emotion to stab him a few times in the heart before he managed to once again wash it down out of mind and resume his strong airs.

He'd been lost in his recollections longer than he'd ever admit and Cordelia piped up to respond to the question, her mind relaxing as she gained security from what seemed like a new friend and the identification of their location-it was their desired destination, no less.

"He came to Avalon for a visit and told us all about this place. He was only there a day, but we ended up going with him-my bo-um, Leer-wanted to help him be a hero. (She tried to mask her disappointed tone and for once at the mention of his name not choke up a sob) I ended up coming with him even though I didn't want to- I want to go home! There are three more of us besides, you know Aaron here, and then there's Regan, who just had to leave Avalon for who knows why, and the gargoyle who came with Brooklyn, Demona. I just don't know where they are, our boat flipped-"

"Woah woah woah! Demona? What was she doing with Brooklyn, on Avalon? Where they acting ok?"

"Ok? Well, they where arguing-"

"Arguing!" Aaron laughed. "I think they hate each other. It wasn't fun sitting around by them on the boat."

Elisa's mind was reeling. Hmm...Demona, Avalon...magic...Brooklyn must have needed her help to get to Avalon. But what was in it for Demona?

"Did Demona hurt anything?"

The two shook their heads. Elisa released a sigh of relief. This was certainly a strange story.

The vehicle stopped.

"Here we are, guys. The one place I know you'll be safe-and where the Manhattan gargoyles live. Brooklyn's clan. I take it you want to meet them?"

"Of course."

"Ok then, follow me." She replied, glancing quickly about for danger before escorting them into the back entrance of the police station and up the steps to the clock tower.

--Sorry it took so long for an update! Im on a roll with this again, thanks reviewers you got me back at this, count on another few chapters very soon! :) --


	6. Chapter 6

Demona came to sputtering angrily and furiously rubbing out sand from her eyes, carelessly making it worse with coated hands. She looked around and saw Brooklyn crawling to his feet and then her poor boat just a small bit further off-a hole punched through the bottom as if a whale bashed it but otherwise intact. She wondered how fast she could fix it.

Demona could have cared less about Brooklyn so she began to look around for the others or something she could use to repair the boat when a set of three hovercrafts zoomed up to them from their origins within a strange and modern city. The trio was lead by a large, robust looking bull-man who introduced himself as Bombito.

"Welcome, strangers." He said. "What brings you to New Olympus?"

"New Olympus?" Brooklyn questioned, walking forward to face the three alongside Demona. "Goliath was here on his trip from Avalon! Do any of you know Goliath?"

The three looked at each other and shook their heads.

"You say you are journeying from Avalon?" Bombito mused. "I've heard about that place. It doesn't send you directly home. I guess that answers my question as to how you got here through our protective shield. Do you plan to stay? Of course you are welcomed if you do. New Olympus is a safe haven for our kind."

Demona's eyes lit up-not with the usual glow of anger but with a glimmer of excitement upon hearing his words.

"A safe haven for our kind? Do you mean for creatures who aren't human?"

"Exactly." Bombito said with a smile. "I take it you where persecuted by them before?"

"That hardly covers it." She breathed. "Humans have been the bane of my existence for my entire life. To live free of their putrid menace is a dream I've had for centuries."

"Well!" He chucked, a bit taken aback at the forcefulness of her statement but still understanding, "You just may like it here. Us "non-human" creatures came from all corners of the world to live here free of persecution. I'm proud to say that to date, no human has ever seen our home, and we work very hard to keep it that way."

"Wait now!" Brooklyn interrupted. "I know a humans been here before. Her name was Elisa, and she was with Goliath and Angela, two purple gargoyles. They talked to a Minotaur like you here, his name was Taurus. You know him?"

"Taurus?" Bombito threw back his head and this time, his laugh was more than a chuckle-it was a fully belted baritone chorus. "Taurus! The only Taurus that's ever been here is my son-and he's only a year old-and unless their talks didn't go much beyond mama and papa I'm afraid they couldn't have gotten much more than that out of him-and if you expect him to remember visitors..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Neverthe less, if a human had ever been here, I'd certainly know about it. I'm the chief of police."

"How can that be?" Brooklyn wondered aloud. "Could there be two New Olympus cities?"

"Not two places, Brooklyn. Maybe two times." Demona said. "Remember that the waters from Avalon have no boundaries-they could have sent us here before Goliath and the others came. That would explain who Taurus is still young and nobody remembers."

"Your right." Brooklyn agreed. "Eh, Demona-"

Demona evaded him as he tried to find a way to sneak in a few discreet words to her. He gave up when Bombito accepted their explanation, scuffed at the idea of a human ever finding their city, and offered to show them a pace they could stay until they could repair their boat and get on their way.


	7. Chapter 7

Regan had been conscious throughout her entire ordeal drifting out at sea, and after doggy paddling for what seemed like forever the waves finally brought her to a shore, just as sunlight peeked its rays above the horizons nest of clouds. She saw Leer come towards her to help but unfortunately too much night had passed and he turned to stone before he could reach her and make shelter. Rapid pains embraced her as she changed to human, but after that transformation was through she tried to drag Leer's heavy body into a small group of trees nearby for some degree of hiding, but as a human he just weighed too much and she was utterly exhausted. She tried to fall asleep next to him in the sand but the sun soon grew too hot and in her skimpy top and loincloth she was soon boiling like a lobster and she half-consciously stumbled off to sit under the trees. The shore where they where seemed to be somewhat sheltered by trees but a few people still occasionally milled about so she vowed to be cautious, however the concept of sleeping was still new to her and she didn't yet realize it when she was in danger of falling into a deep cycle from which to waken would require not much short of resurrection. When she finally did come to around noon, she realized with horror Leer was gone. She noticed a woman lying on the sandy shore near where Leer had been and she frantically ran over to her.

"Excuse me!"

The lady looked up at her, annoyed and crinkling her nose at the interrupters strange and ragged bikini. It had to be the ugliest fashion she'd ever seen in her life. "What?"

"There was a statue on this shore! Not too long ago! I just went to sleep for a few minutes-and now it's gone! Did you see what happened?"

She hoped Demona hadn't taken him and left her. She wouldn't mind being by herself, it was what she was used to, but the idea of Demona just deserting her hurt.

_Hurts, huh? _Her inner psyche piped. _Now who would do something like desert somebody?_

_Ah, shut up._ She told herself, in her head. _I'll just find her, and ask her whats going on!_

_So, you want an explanation-isn't that what Aaron wanted?_

_Hm, I guess. It just...would have been hard. But I'm right. If I want explanations, I should be prepared to give them. When I see him again, I'm going to have to tell him straight up._

Regan broke out of her thoughts just as the Woman responded. "Funny you should ask. I couldn't believe you slept through that. I did see you off in those trees-my husband was half tempted to wake you for fear that something was wrong. You did snore though, so we knew you where sleeping. Anyway, some older gentleman on a flying cart came roaring over here blocking my sun and just strapped that statue up and carried it away. I thought he was the police, to be frank. He certainly seemed professional, and I can't say I'd ever seen someone like him before. He was very well built, this man..." She glanced around for a second, as if to confirm the absence of her husband from earshot. "And he wore a sort of power suit. I do admit that after seeing him I have been much entertained while lying out here with my daydreaming!"

"Ough..." Regan giggled. "You say older...how old exactly? I'm going to have to find him."

"Oh, if you do please bring him back. Its such a nice day, and I don't believe he got to swim. He must have been hard at work, he was so efficient and businesslike. He had all white hair-a full head, and an Old Dutch beard. About six foot tall and change. That's really all I can say. The cart was silver and black, standard really...if such strange, rare things have standards, hehe!"

Regan smiled. She kind of started liking the lady, she made her laugh. She appeared to be middle aged, just a tad plump but with a round, friendly face and a mouth full of teeth that sparkled when she laughed-which she was finding to be often. She would have liked to gossip with the lady more about the strange man but she had to find Leer. The situation really wasn't looking good. How was she going to find some dude on a flying cart in a strange city filled with endless buildings like she'd never before seen?

"Did the cart have horses?" She asked.

--whew, it's almost 3 am but I got the intros to the final "journeys" done! Spoilers (of sorts) --- Will Cordelia and Aaron find a place in Manhattan, and with the clan? Will Cordelia make up with Leer, or will she find a more sympathetic and perhaps more compatible soulmate? What will happen when the Olympians discover that Demona is a human during the day, and will they ever get off Olympus and back home? How will Brooklyn react to being one-and-one with Demona? Also, has the main purpose of his journey in the first place been in vain, and will he return as lonely for love as when he left, if not more so with the addition of new couples, however fractured they may be? Finally, who was that strange bearded man? Why did he take Leer, will he be all right, and how will a clueless Regan, who has lived on Avalon her whole life, navigate a modern human city and find him? Will she find help, or a trap? Will they find the Manhattan clan alive, and if they do how will they fit in? Stay tuned! :)


	8. Chapter 8

Elisa had phoned Goliath on her way over and gave him the scoop so when the trio arrived everyone was waiting.

"Cordelia, Aaron!" Angela cried as she saw them. "It's seemed like so long-how is everyone back home?"

"Their fine." Cordelia replied. "Which is more than I can say for us, now that we've left. Oh, I've missed you! How have you been? Do you like it here?"

Angela gave them both big hugs then stepped back.

"First, introductions don't you think?" She said, smiling.

"Of course! I'm Cordelia." She held out her hand to Goliath and he took it, also smiling. Everyone in the clan was absolutely thrilled, both to hear that Brooklyn was supposedly alive and that their clan would be given some new additions.

"Aaron."

"Welcome, both of you. I'm Goliath, as you probably know. I remember you, Aaron from when I was on Avalon-I don't believe we spoke, Cordelia, but I'm happy to see that we now have a better chance. This is Hudson, my mentor, Broadway, Lexington, and Bronx. Elisa is also a member of our clan and a great help to us. I honestly do not think we would have survived to this day without her. You are both welcome to stay with my clan here in the clock tower. Please, let us all sit down. I'm sure there are many questions for both sides."

"Indeed!" Hudson piped. They sat and Angela then replied to Cordelias earlier question.

"I'm not going to lie, you two are in for a shock living here. It's certainly an adventure-but one I find very worth it. I have to say, Cordelia, I'm amazed you left Avalon! What happened? You seemed so happy there!"

The pink gargoyles looked down and her eyes glassed over.

"Please, I'd rather not talk about it right now."

Angelas features softened with concern but she did not press the subject. There would be time for that later, perhaps when the two of them where alone. She'd have to be sure to request her sister first as a partner when they did their next patrols.

"Uh, guys?" Lexington said. "Wheres Brooklyn?"

"He got separated from us-something hit our boat and capsized it. We looked for him on shore, but I don't think he came here. Avalon must have sent him somewhere else."

"I hope he's okay!"

"Me too." Elisa said. "Apparently He's with Demona and two others from Avalon."

"Demona!" Goliath yelled. "We should go look for him!"

"Calm down." Elisa said, putting a hand on his arm. "At this point what could we do but get lost ourselves? You know what happens with Avalon. We'll just have to be diligent about watching for his return."

"He could be in danger. I thought he hated Demona. What is he doing with her?"

"She's the one who took him to Avalon." Aaron replied. "Since he doesn't know magic-"

"Eye, he must hev wanted teh go very badly te ask Demona fer help." Hudson said. "I jes hope he gits back alright."

"Brooklyn is still so young. Our closeness here often makes me forget how foolish he can be."

"What's so bad about Demona?" Aaron asked Goliath. He grinned inwardly, secretly pleased that they seemed to share his own opinion on the female. He hadn't thought he could have tolerated living in a clan with her.

"She's dangerous! She's tried to kill us many times. She's out to eliminate the humans and will not hesitate to murder anyone who gets in her way. Sadly, she is one of our main foes here on this island."

"Wow! That's pretty bad. She did seem pretty adamant about the whole not liking humans things, and of course she went after us when she was under that spell, but she hadn't tried to off any of us during our trip. Maybe we _should_ go looking for the others." He looked at Cordelia, to gauge her reaction.

"Yes! Oh my, they wouldn't know what they where dealing with. Is she really dangerous?"

Goliath nodded. "You can never underestimate Demona. There is always a plan under whatever lies she tells you. She knows powerful magic, is immortal and becomes human during the day besides. Lexington, Broadway-I'm giving you the task of patrolling the shores around here until they return. The sooner he's found the sooner this whole ordeal can be over."

The next night Lex and Broadway went to do their patrol and Aaron came along with them as well. The young male was excited to be in this new place and was looking forward to proving himself as a valuable member of the clan. He really liked Goliath and the groups ideals and felt he would fit in quite nicely.

Cordelia hadn't wanted to leave the clock tower, so Angela volunteered to stay with her and update her on their modern life with the help of the TV and clan library. Hudson and Bronx followed them around and the old male was glad to have a new sympathetic set of ears with which to share his various likes and dislikes with his new-fangled life. Cordelia sort of reminded him of his own mate-compassionate, gentle and happy around the home, and although she lacked the warrior spirit his mate had had at this point in his life he was more forgiving of that and his old sense of mentorship was beginning to return. He decided he would try and help Cordelia all that he could. He could tell that she was very uncomfortable with her new surroundings and he was already beginning to brew up encouraging lectures for her. The thought of turning the timid little thing into a full-fighting member of the clan was a challenge that made him feel more useful than he had felt in years. While he had been leader, a gargoyle of her personality would have never been trained as a warrior but these new times and situation required it to some degree. His availability as a one-on-one tutor was just what she would need.

Angela really wanted to find out what was bothering Cordelia so badly but never got an appropriate chance. She finally decided that it might be better to give her a few days to settle in first and so she suppressed her concern for the time being. It was unexpectedly exposed though, when Hudson had retreated off to watch tv and Angela brought up the subject of her and Broadway. She remembered the well-known fact that Cordelia and Leer had been attached at the hip on Avalon and she asked her what had happened. Cordelia painfully outlined her story and Angela comforted her as best she could.

"I'm so sorry, Cordelia. I've been meaning to visit back home _sometime_, maybe when Brooklyn returns and things get somewhat back to normal we can go back there and you can be back home. It's never fun being in a place you don't belong."

For the first time since she'd left, Cordelia felt a spring of hope spark in her soul.

"Really? Oh, sister that would be just what I need. I miss Katherine and the others so much. I don't want to leave Leer, really...but maybe...do you think by then he might have come to his senses? Assuming he's all right, of course-I cant imagine otherwise..."

Angela gave her a comforting smile. You can always hope. Leers a sensible guy, and I do know how he feels about you. He always talked about you, and the Leer I know would never do anything that hurt you unless he felt it was absolutely necessary."

She put her hand reassuringly on her sisters shoulder and she noticed her tense and withdraw.

"Please, trust him a little bit, ok? And I'll tell you what-when he comes back here, I'll kick his ass for you-sound good?"

"I'll try." Cordelia replied. "You can only kick his ass if he's alive."

The next night, Elisa was waiting for the clan to awaken. Her face spread her concern to the clan even before she could utter any words.

"Guys, there's trouble. Apparently a gargoyle was discovered washed up on shore this morning. The quarrymen where set to go after it but Macbeth overheard their transmissions and picked him up before they could arrive. He was attacked heading to his castle though and they managed to get the gargoyles from him and get away. He's touring the city now trying to find where they're keeping him, but so far we haven't heard or found anything. We have to all start looking, now."

All of the clans faces where drained a shade of color upon hearing the news. Cordelia and Aaron asked about the quarrymen, and the clan quickly explained who they where and why being in their hands was sure death for any of their kind. The pink gargoyle gasped.

"Who do they have? Did Macbeth say?"

Elisa shook her head. "Just that he is male. It all happened during the day-being stone and only having him for so short of time, he couldn't tell much else."

"All right, everyone. Tonight is going to be dangerous. We're going to search the city in groups. Hudson, please go get the walkie talkies. Each leader will have one so they can call for help. Angela, Broadway, Cordelia, search the east side. Lexington, Aaron take the south. Hudson and I will search the north. We'll tell Macbeth to focus west. Any questions?"

The clan shook their heads and as soon as they had the walkie talkies, they where off.


	9. Chapter 9

Regan had had a miserable day. She had seen no flying carts and nobody she had asked for help had seemed very friendly. Towards sunset she had sat down, exhausted, and on the verge of a frustration bawl. She was seriously pissed about her helplessness in finding the man on the flying cart. Not being able to fly or climb only compounded the problem, so she decided to rest for a few minutes and just wait until she changed. When the time came she slipped into an alley and emerged rejuvenated and once again herself. She climbed up the side of a building and took to the air. If that man were still in the city, she would find him tonight.

Regan was not flying long before she did indeed find him. He was just as the woman described-older, with an air of nobility-wearing some sort of suit and flying around on a swift, flying machine. He seemed intent on looking for something. Regan decided to follow him and see if he would lead her back to where Leer was, but he was a swift mover, ducking up and down and in-between the tall solid buildings and tracking was difficult. Regan got a bit sloppy as she grew tired and came close to loosing him a few times, and after she tried to make up for a few flights she felt where much too obvious she finally lost sight of him completely after a few moments of overcompensation by hiding. She looked around from her hiding place furiously and moved to turn around, running smack into the man who'd snuck up behind her.

"You!!" She roared, her ill mood finally allowed to flow freely forward as the time for conflict came to hand. She surged forward into him and attempted to grab and restrain him. To her complete surprise, her touch was met by a powerful electric current emitted from the suit and she was forced to pull back violently, somersaulting a few times in a rapid decent before regaining control and flying back upwards. The man put the cart into high gear and attempted to speed off but Regan was hot on his trail. It was all she could do to keep up and she managed to hook her claws into the machine. The man looked down and then made a sharp turn around a building, slamming her into it in an attempt to scrape her off. She managed to duck down under the cart and she took the opportunity to rake her claws down the entire underside, sending the cart into a sputtering, smoky decent. The man and cart crashed violently into a rooftop as Regan released her hold and landed on her feet.

The man recovered form the fall quick as lightning and he drew a laser gun, firing furiously at his attacker. Regan ducked behind an air conditioning unit and stayed for a moment. Macbeth took the opportunity to speak.

"Who are you! Why are you attacking me?"

Regan peeked out at him from behind her shelter. "You kidnapped my friend! Where is he?"

"Your friend? You mean the gargoyle on the beach?"

"Yes!"

"I took him to save him. He was in grave danger, and is right this very moment. The men who I was trying to protect him from attacked me shortly after I attempted to move him and they got away with him. I was trying to track them the very minute you assaulted me."

Regan scowled.

"I don't believe you. I'll bet you where hunting for more gargoyles. Now, where is he!" She leaped from her hold and tackled him into the ground, grabbing his gun and wrestling him for it.

"I tell you the truth! He moved to activate the current in him suit but Regan realized what he was doing first and leapt clear. Macbeth took the opportunity to go and call the others over but before he could do so a black helicopter swooped down and six armed quarry men leaped out.

"Well well, what do we have here?" One snickered, bouncing his electro hammer menacingly on his palm. "A gargoyle, disturbing the peace. Imagine that. Hey." He continued, recognizing Macbeth. "Your the guy trying to save one of these things earlier. Trying to save this one, too? See how it thanks you?"

"It?" Regan roared. "What's your problem?"

"Gargoyle." Macbeth addressed her. "THESE are the men who have your friend. Now, if ye don't mind, I'd rather not be fighting you in addition te these guys."

Regan snarled, eyes flashing. She wasn't going to let the guy off that easily. For all she knew, he and the men where a team, setting up a trap for her to fall into by allowing herself to lower her guard against Macbeth. She backed away, giving herself distance, and was about to take to the air in an attempt to take out the helicopter (and thus their means of retreat) when one of the men began to fire at her. She moved to dodge out of the line of fire but in so doing stepped right onto the target another one had lain and he shot an electric net out and nabbed her. Currents swam through her body like poison and she convulsed, struggling through blackness to stay alert and try to fight her way out, but it was hopeless. A sheltered Avalon gargoyle was no match against a team of men who had fought against a 1000-year-old immortal.


End file.
